I Will Protect You
by samcatthorne
Summary: "Rhea," he pleaded, his voice beginning to shake. "Don't leave. I…I love you." "If you really love me...then you'll let me go." Ancient Egypt AtemXOC Rated M for sexual content
1. Encounter

_A woman. A queen! She's beautiful._

_Her eyes. They're my eyes. Is that me?_

_So many Creatures. I've never seen so many before in my life!_

_They're all coming together. What are they doing?_

_Ah! No, it hurts. They have to stop! If they keep destroying themselves, I'll die. I don't want to die. Why won't I stop them?_

_Is that the Pharaoh? Why is he crying? Is it because of me? Don't cry for me Pharaoh._

_No, dear, you have to stay behind and protect the Pharaoh…_

_Protect the Pharaoh…_

_Pharaoh…Forgive me…_

* * *

I woke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat. Bright sunlight poured into the eastern window. The streets outside were already bustling with the day's routines. I sighed. Overslept again. Karn was not going to be happy with me.

I stretched and climbed out of bed. I dressed in my normal work clothes, and went to the mirror to inspect my dark brown mess of hair. As per usual, short tangled spikes poked out all over my head. My bright green eyes still showed signs of weariness, but that couldn't be helped. I ran my fingers through my hair in an effort to somewhat tame some of the knots before heading out to enter the crowded streets of Egypt for Karn's inn.

* * *

"You're late again, Rhea," Karn said, leaning a broad shoulder against the door frame. She was a rather large woman in her fifties with a deep, throaty, booming voice. But despite her threatening—if somewhat masculine—features, she was truly a kind soul.

"I apologize," I smiled. "I overslept again." Karn's stance suddenly straightened.

"Was it the dream again?" she asked in a hushed voice, frowning. I nodded grimly. The only time I ever overslept was because of my recurring dream of death.

Karn sighed. "Well, nothing you can do about it now," she said, booming, giving me a hard "pat" on the back. When I was young, this used to send me sprawling to the ground. Nowadays, though, it just shifted my balance forward a step. "Ferod's run out of vegetables again. Think you could go to the market and pick some up?" She pulled out a small pouch of coins for the food and an empty burlap sack.

I laughed, nodding jovially. Ferod was Karn's husband and the inn's cook. He was constantly giving vegetables to the neighbor's donkeys, like they were his children.

He and Karn had never had children, though they'd prayed to the gods many times for the chance. So, when I came knocking on their door after my father died, they gladly took me in. They fed me well, but I never seemed to "thicken up" as Karn used to say. When I turned 13, they let me live on my own and work for them as an employee.

I took the pouch and, turning back to the busy street, bound for the vegetable stand. I easily maneuvered my way through the throng of people. I found the vegetables, and placed some into the sack Karn had given me.

"Did you hear the news?" the merchant said as I paid for my groceries. "The Pharaoh's son is in town!"

"Do you know why?" I asked.

The merchant shrugged. "Nobody knows. Some say he's here on business. Others say…" He looked around to be sure nobody was listening, then lowered his voice. "Others say he's here for a mistress, if you know what I mean." He nodded slowly, as if to say that he was sure that was what it was. I rolled my eyes.

"I doubt he's here to see a prostitute."

"SSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!" The merchant scanned the crowd again. When he was sure the coast was clear, he shrugged again. "Stranger things have happened, you know." I snorted. Some people will believe anything, I thought. I gave the merchant the money and left.

I'd heard many things about the Prince, few of which were good. Unlike his father King Aknamkanon, who was a kind-hearted and patient man, the Prince was often said to be hot-tempered, selfish, and frequently abused his authority. He hardly ever left the palace, so his arrival was certainly a surprise.

I returned to the inn and gave the groceries to Karn.

"The Pharaoh's son will be in town today," I noted as she put the vegetables away.

"Will he now?" Karn said absent-mindedly. I nodded.

"I know I was late getting in this morning, but I was wondering if-"

"Go ahead."

"Really?" I asked, truly surprised.

"Why not?" Karn shrugged. "He doesn't come to town often, and it's a slow day anyway. Go have some fun, kiddo."

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed, hugging the woman tightly. Karn laughed endearingly.

"Just make sure you're back before dark. Can't have you getting lost," she joked as I headed for the door.

"Promise!"

* * *

It seemed as if everyone was wanting to get a look at the Prince. The streets were packed with people, young and old alike. Luckily, I was able to push my way to the front of the crowd.

All of a sudden, I felt a push on my mind.

_Lemme see. Lemme see,_ a voice chirped.

_Not right now_, I countered.

_Oh come on. Pppplllleeeaaassseeeee?_ I sighed mentally. Hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

_Fine,_ I conceded. _You've got ten minutes._

_Yippee!_

I felt a portion of my energy leave me in a bright green stream as it shaped into a large, brown furball hovering just above my head.

_Ahh_, Kuriboh sighed happily, doing a little flip. _Sure feels good to be outside again. I wish you would let me out more often._

"I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, you draw too much attention," I griped.

_Here he comes!_ Kuriboh shouted suddenly, completely ignoring my comment. _I see him!_

I stretched onto my tiptoes, trying to peer over the crowd. Farther up the road, people were already beginning to bow to their future ruler, making it easier to see.

And there he was. The Prince of Egypt. He was so…handsome. Incredibly so.

I quickly drank in every single detail of his figure as I bowed in respect. He wore a long tunic that was split down the middle, held to his body by a royal blue belt. His perfectly sculpted chest and torso were bare, his glistening skin was the color of fresh sugar cane. His golden armbands clung tightly to his biceps. A deep red cape the color of fine red wine hung on his shoulders, flowing regally behind him. I couldn't make myself look away.

In all of his utter beauty, there was one feature that was unmistakably out of place. His scowl. It seemed the only thing that didn't fit with the rest of him. That scowl and the hard look in his blazing crimson eyes.

_I wonder why he's so mad,_ Kuriboh asked from beside me, having also bowed as his subject.

_Yeah…_

* * *

Atem gazed boredly at the kneeling crowd. He still had no idea why he felt the need to visit this place, but it was better than what he normally did: wander around the palace all day looking for something to do.

He remembered what Isis had said just before he'd left this morning, "My Prince, be very wary. Your life is in grave danger today. Someone will try and make an attempt on your life." At the time, he'd just blown her off. After all, that was one of the risks of being the son of the Pharaoh. But now he was starting to have his doubts. As he looked down upon his people he began to wonder: if they were to witness this attempt that Isis had predicted, would any of them bother to try and save him?

Or would they just sit back and watch him die?

* * *

_Something's wrong,_ I thought to Kuriboh. I looked around the street carefully.

_I feel it too,_ he thought back.

I glanced up at a rooftop across the street from where we were. Standing there was a hooded figure staring down at the Prince. He raised a bow to firing position, a single arrow in the string. Behind him, was the shadow of a Creature the likes of which I'd never seen before. The figure pulled the string to fire his weapon.

Without warning, he let loose the arrow.

* * *

"Look out!"

Atem whipped around as the arrow whizzed toward him. There wasn't any time to try and run or dodge.

Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, having been pushed out of the way by a soft, floating mass.

The Creature let out a shrill yelp as the arrow pierced its flesh. Some 150 cubits away, someone else cried out in pain. A young girl around his age clutched her torso, trembling. Atem approached her cautiously, not entirely certain it wasn't a trap.

As he grew closer, he could hear her saying something, though he couldn't make out what it was. "Speak up," he instructed her. She gazed up at him, her striking green eyes swimming with a desperation to survive.

"Please." Her voice shook as she spoke. "You have to take the arrow out."

"Remove the arrow from the Creature!" the Prince ordered to one of his men. They pulled the arrow from the beast's body, and immediately the girl's tremors ceased.

"Sire, this arrow's been poisoned!" one of the guards cried as he examined the weapon's tip.

"What?"

"And whoever the would-be assassin was, they were quite skilled. A poison of this caliber could kill a hundred men. A small cut from this would result in death within minutes. This Creature took a direct hit. I don't think-"

Just then, the furry Creature popped up into the air as lively as before. It had no visible mouth, yet Atem could swear it was grinning wildly at him. The girl was back on her feet as well.

"B-but…that's impossible," the guard sputtered. "I don't-"

The floating ball of joy spun merrily around its master before nuzzling her cheek in endearment. The girl giggled. "It's true. The arrow _had_ been poisoned. And had it not been removed, Kuriboh and I would both be dead." Kuriboh chirped happily, diving underneath the girl's arm as a signal that it wanted affection. She complied, rubbing its head as it purred contentedly.

"However," the girl continued, "once the arrow was gone, Kuriboh here was able to use the poison in its blood as an antidote, turning the poison back on itself." The Creature looked back at Atem and nodded excitedly.

"What's your name, girl?" Atem asked slowly. The girl knelt back down respectfully to her future Pharaoh, her Creature following her example.

"My name is Rhea, sire," she said. "I am the daughter of the merchant Bato-"

"I asked only for your name," Atem interjected. "Any other information is entirely useless to me."

* * *

I caught myself. I had forgotten that the Prince wasn't exactly sociable. I hung my head lower, feeling the weight of his authority over me.

"Yes, sir." He turned to walk away, addressing his guard as he did so.

"Fetch the Creature. We're taking it back to the palace with us." My head shot back up. Kuriboh flew into the air, just out of reach of the guards.

_No! I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!_

"You can't do that!" I protested, returning to my feet. The Prince glared at me viciously.

"I can do as I please." He turned back, and stepped closer to me, his shadow of power engulfing me. "You should be proud. This beast is going to serve as my guardian at the palace." His cold stare sent chills down my spine. There was not a glimpse of warmth in his flaming red eyes.

"I can assure you, you will be compensated for your contribution," he continued.

"I don't want your money," I spat, sounding braver than I felt. "I _want_ my Kuriboh." He narrowed his eyes dangerously at me.

"If you continue to resist me," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'll have no choice but to have you arrested."

"I won't allow you to take my Kuriboh from me," I informed him, lowering my voice.

"I'm afraid that's not your decision to make. Guards!"

"Kuriboh!" Kuriboh disappeared into a stream of green energy, diving straight down into my body. I felt his surge of power as we became one again. I looked back at the Prince, raisin an eyebrow expectantly.

While the faces of the guards were astonished and baffled, the Prince's expression remained unchanged.

"If you think," he growled, "that by reuniting with your Creature, that you've somehow saved yourselves, I'm afraid you're gravely mistaken." He nodded back to the guards, who broke free of their dazes and grabbed me. I was placed in shackles and led to the palace.

I took one last look at the rooftop. The hooded figure was gone, and I was about to lose my Kuriboh.

Sorry Karn, I thought ruefully. I don't think I'll be back any time soon.

* * *

Okay everybody. Here's my thought process on this story. One HUMONGOUS plothole that I noticed in the Yu-Gi-Oh series was that during seasons 3 & 4, Atem was considered to be a tyrant Pharaoh, but when it came to season 5, it was all card games and butterflies from start to finish. This kinda bugged me. Plus, many of Yami's cards were mentioned as Shadow Creatures in the memories, but I couldn't find Kuriboh. That oh-so-special fuzzball that everybody loves was nowhere to be found. This fact also ticked me off. So, I thought, why not create an explanation for both? And that's how this came to be.

If you couldn't tell by the description, Atem is supposed to be wearing his garments from pre-season-5 flashbacks. Wasn't exactly sure if that was made apparant. :/

Also, for those of you who don't know, a cubit was a unit of measurement used by the ancient Egyptians. It measured from the Pharaoh's elbow to the tip of his middle finger, which is equivalent to about 1 1/2 feet or .5m by today's measurements. I'll be using this measurement a lot in place of meters or feet or yards, etc. Anything smaller than a cubit, I'll just use centimeters. If I require any considerable distance, I'll use kilometers or if it's a village, I'll just use how long it would take to get there on horseback.


	2. Dinner

"Absolutely not!" the Pharaoh exclaimed. "I will not allow it!"

"But Father, I—"

"I don't want to hear your reasons for this, Atem. It is simply unacceptable." He heard his son growl under his breath, and sighed. "The girl saved your life, and you wish to repay her by forcing her Shadow Creature to be taken from her?"

Something had changed in his son, though what exactly, he had no idea. Atem used to be such bright, sweet child. But, over the years, he'd grown steadily darker and more serious. Aknamkanon had tried everything he could in order to find out what was wrong, but to no avail. Not even Mahad or Mana, Atem's closest friends, could get through to the Prince at this point. He'd pushed everyone in his life away.

* * *

"Why don't you ask her to join us for dinner," the King suggested.

"But she's a commoner!" Atem protested.

"She saved your life, Atem. You are still in her debt, whether you're Prince or not. She chose to protect you at great risk to her own safety."

"I thought that was what subjects were supposed to do for the Pharaoh and his family," Atem argued.

"And how many of those people today actively tried to protect you out there?"

Atem paused, his head sinking as he recalled the other civilians' faces, gawking at him silently for a moment before scattering and screaming in terror. They looked like ants whose mound was just stepped on. It was rather pathetic, really.

"It was only her," he muttered quietly. Aknamkanon put a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"You see? Telling someone they must does not mean that they will."

Atem grumbled. "Yes, Father."

"This Rhea put her own life at risk to save you. You owe her a debt of gratitude. Wouldn't you agree, my son?" Reluctantly, Atem nodded, know that any further resistance would be futile.

"Good. Now, have the guards release her from her prison cell, and invite her to dinner." Atem sighed.

"Yes, Father."

* * *

_What a jerk_, Kuriboh said. _We saved his life, and _this_ is the thanks we get?_

I didn't answer. I merely sat on the cold stone bench by the wall and leaned my head against the wall. I was worried about Karn. My prison cell had no windows, but I was fairly certain it was close to sundown. No doubt she would have heard of my arrest. My idiotic outburst had to have spread all over town by now. She must be worried sick, I thought. I couldn't help feeling like I'd let her down.

"Get up," the Prince said, snapping me from my daze. I blinked at him. He was so quiet when he'd walked in, I hadn't realized he'd entered at all. Or perhaps I was too deep in thought to notice.

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

"We're leaving," he said. "This is your one chance at freedom. I suggest you take it."

I nodded obediently. "Of course, sir." I started to follow him from the cell. "May I ask why, though?"

The Prince stopped and sighed grudgingly.

"My father has invited you to join us for dinner, in gratitude for saving my life." I paused, taken aback by the Pharaoh's kindness.

"Thank you," I blurted.

"I would advise you not to get too comfortable. Remember, you are here as a guest, and a guest only."

"I understand." The last thing I wanted to do was condemn myself and Kuriboh further.

"Good. Follow me."

He led me silently from the dungeon through a series of long hallways, each one wider than any street in town. We stopped in front of a pair of colossal doors guarded on either side by spear-wielding guards. As the Prince approached, the guards pushed the doors open for us.

Inside, the bedroom was enormous! It could fit at least five of my room back home with plenty of space to spare. The giant four-poster bed placed against the west wall was three times the size of my own. The balcony opposite the bed provided a beautiful view of the Imperial city as well as the night sky, with huge velvet curtains for privacy. It was absolutely stunning.

"This will be your bedchamber for the time being," the Prince said from behind me. "I will send a servant along in a moment to help make you a bit more…presentable." On _presentable_, his eyes ran up and down my figure, grimacing disapprovingly. "I wouldn't get too comfortable, though," he repeated.

"Yes, sir," I said, feeling slightly self-conscious. He turned and left without another word, closing the door behind him.

Across the room from where I was standing was a full-view copper mirror. I inspected my appearance carefully. I was horrified! Compared to the rest of the room, my short, tangled hair; dirty, tattered frock; and sand-smudged skin looked wretched and particularly out-of-place. No wonder the Prince grimaced the way he had. I couldn't face the Pharaoh like this!

I heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" I called. The door creaked open, and a girl's head popped in.

"Excuse me," she said shyly. "I was told to help you get ready for tonight's meal?" I nodded, ushering her inside, closing the door behind her. I couldn't help but notice a slight accent.

"Where do you come from," the girl asked as she began drawing a bath in the washroom that emerged from the north wall.

"I'm from the Market District here in the city," I told her. She smiled pleasantly.

The Imperial City has three different districts located in rings around the palace. The innermost ring just outside the palace walls was the Noble District. This was where the priests, scholars and other high-ranking officials resided with their families. The next ring that surrounded the nobles, was the Market District, my home. Many merchants, innkeepers (like Karn), artisans and the rest of the lower-middle class lived and did their work here. Although it was within the city limits, and therefore required by law to be kept clean and well-managed, the Market District wasn't exactly the nicest place to live in all of Egypt. The outermost ring, the Farming District, was located outside the city wall, but was still considered part of the city. The Farming District provided most of the food for the Pharaoh and the Market District.

"Which district are you from?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm not from this city," the girl said.

"Oh, you're not?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm from a city a few kilometers away. I was brought here as a servant because my mother needed the money to help provide for herself and my brothers and sisters."

"You must miss them terribly."

She nodded, smiling sadly. "I do. But, it's nice living in the palace. The servants' quarters are always well-maintained, and I always have fresh food to eat. I pray that one day, I'll be able to earn enough money bring the rest of my family here." I smiled, happy that the girl found some hope in her situation.

"By the way," I said, watching her ready the bathwater, "my name is Rhea. What's yours?"

"Auset," the girl said timidly.

"What a beautiful name," I replied. Auset blushed. Her looks were particularly different from others I'd seen. She seemed to be just a few years younger than me, yet her long hair was of a light-grey, almost white color. Her hair and her ice-blue eyes provided stark contrast to her dark Egyptian tan. She wore a simple cream-colored tunic lined with dark red trim and tied around the waist with a gold rope belt. Her smile was shy and sweet. She seemed so innocent, she couldn't hurt a fly.

After she finished preparing the bath she stood and wiped her hands, turning to me.

"May—may I see your Creature?" she asked. "I've heard so much about it."

"Of course," I told her, smiling. I released Kuriboh, and he zoomed over to nuzzle her cheek affectionately. Auset giggled.

"I never knew a Shadow Creature could be so…cute," she said. Kuriboh chirped happily.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, Auset helped me and Kurboh get ready for dinner.

Well, actually, she offered to help me get ready, but I refused considering I felt that she was my equal in the current circumstances. Instead, she helped me groom Kuriboh, just in case he were to make a sudden appearance. It took both of us together to get Kuriboh into the bath (he's a strong little sucker), but brushing his coat was no problem. He was actually purring as we combed the knots out.

Once we had Kuriboh taken care of, I bathed myself and prepared for dinner. I was combing out my hair just after my bath when there came another knock at the door. I was given a beautifully elegant gown, similar to Auset's except that it came down to my ankles and the trim was gold and black instead of red. I slipped it on carefully, tying the belt into place. Again, Auset offered to help, but I politely turned her down. After all, as the Prince took pleasure in reminding me repeatedly before he left, I wasn't planning on staying long enough to become considered of "noble" status. In fact, I wasn't even expecting to spend the night. As far as I was concerned, I would be back home before sunrise tomorrow.

* * *

"What could be taking her so long," Atem growled irritably.

"Be patient, my son," the Pharaoh urged calmly. "There is no need to rush her. The Guardians aren't even here yet."

Just then, the doors to the dining room's main entrance opened, permitting Rhea to enter. Atem stared at her, amazed that it could even be the same girl as before. Once all the dirt and grime form the streets had been washed away, she looked positively radiant! Her lightly-tanned skin glowed and her hair shimmered from the light of the setting sun. The dress, which had been one of Lady Isis's gowns from when she was Rhea's age, fit her marvelously and tremendously flattered her slim figure. Her once spiky, messy hair now fell delicately down the sides of her face, stopping just below her chin. Her green eyes sparkled with curiosity and innocence.

He snapped out of his daze when he heard his father's chuckles beside him. "The food hasn't arrived yet," Aknamkanon whispered teasingly, "and already you're salivating." His cheeks burning, Atem subconsciously wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Rhea said, drawing Atem's eyes to her smooth, thin lips. "This is my first time in the palace, and I'm afraid I may have gotten a little lost." She laughed once halfheartedly, as if trying to make light of the situation.

"Not a problem," the Pharaoh assured her, smiling. "Besides, you're not the last guest to arrive, so there's nothing to worry about. Please, make yourself comfortable. There is an available seat beside my son." Atem scowled, silently cursing his father for his pestering. The girl quietly took her place, sitting on the edge of the chair, as far from the Prince as humanly possible. She never met his gaze. Atem rolled his eyes. Sure, he wasn't the nicest person in Egypt, but she didn't have to avoid him like he had some deadly illness.

* * *

It was obvious to the Pharaoh that the two youngsters were not going to begin any sort of conversation on their own. So, he decided to begin it for them.

"So, my dear, I don't think I've had the pleasure of learning your name yet," he started. The girl smiled shyly.

"Rhea, sir. My name is Rhea."

"What a lovely name for such a lovely young woman." Rhea blushed.

"Thank you, sire. That means a lot to me."

The trio turned as the great wooden doors opened once again, granting seven finely-dressed nobles entrance to the small banquet. Aknamkanon glanced at Rhea, who had risen from her seat and was standing stiffly as Shimon and the six Sacred Guardians took their places at each of the remaining empty chairs.

"Please sit, Rhea," he coaxed her kindly. "You are among equals here. There is no need to be so formal." He ignored his son's intense glares as Rhea slowly, unsurely sat back down.

Suddenly, the doors to the kitchen were opened, and the food was brought in.

* * *

_Finally_, Atem thought as his dinner was presented in front of him. Now they could hurry and eat and get this over with. He figured the sooner the girl left, the better. He could tell she had no place here at the palace. She had only been here a few minutes, and she was already clouding his mind. The farther away she got from him, the better off he would be.

His father, however, was not in quite as big a hurry. In fact, judging from the way he was leaned back in his chair, he seemed downright bound and determined to stay at the table as long as possible.

"So," his father began. "I believe introductions are in order."

Why? Atem thought. It's not like we'll ever see her again.

"Son, why don't you begin? Acquaint us with your honored guest."

"_My_ guest?" Atem cried, jumping to his feet. "I wasn't the one who invited her to dinner."

The Pharaoh didn't bat an eye. "But you _were_ the one who brought her home, didn't you?"

Atem felt like his father had just sucked the air from his lungs. He was left standing there, gaping at his father like an angry fish out of water. Grudgingly, humiliated at his own outburst, he returned to his seat. He refused to look at Rhea, but he could almost hear the smug grin spreading across her thin lips.

* * *

I probably should have been smug at the Prince's defeat. I should have been happy that the Pharaoh was taking my side. But I wasn't. I felt personally embarrassed for the Prince. After all, if I hadn't been here in the first place, he wouldn't have been put in this situation to begin with. As he sat down, I couldn't help but notice the slightly pink tint emerge from his cheeks. He wouldn't look at me after that.

I figured I would save him further embarrassment and spoke up. "My name is Rhea. It's nice to meet you all."

Each of the nobles introduced themselves. Mahad, Shimon, and Lady Isis all seemed genuinely pleased to meet me. Shada and Karim might have been as well, but they looked like they had more important things on their minds. Aknadin and Priest Seto both made it obvious that they were only there because they had to be. With their similar frowns, they could have been related.

Everyone began talking about their own things. Lady Isis and Mahad asked me about my life. Aknadin and the Pharaoh were talking about political things. Whatever had been on Shada and Karim's minds was being discussed between the two of them. Shimon was talking with Seto about the day's activities. Meanwhile, the Prince remained completely silent. I imagined he was probably still sore about being somewhat publicly humiliated. I truly felt bad for him.

Of course, through all the conversations, it was the one moment when the room was perfectly silent that my stomach decided to sound like a dying camel. Everyone turned and stared at me, including the Prince. I felt my face burn.

After a period of awkward silence, the Pharaoh laughed. "I suppose that is our signal to dig in," he said. Personally, I needed no further insistence.

* * *

Yeah...This chapter's kinda slow, but don't worry. There'll be more soon. I promise.

I felt kind of hesitant to use the word "salivating" cuz to me, it made him sound like an uber creeper. But I figured "drooling" was a bit too AD for Ancient Egypt, and I couldn't think of any other synonyms, so I just went with it...Still think he sounds like a creeper though. :/


	3. Transfer

Every bite of our meal was absolutely magnificent! Everything was prepared perfectly, and thanks to the natural heat of the desert, when we finally dove into our food, it hadn't cooled much, if at all. Even after about an hour of chatter, it still tasted as if it had just come out of the kitchen. The meat and fowl practically fell off the bone. It didn't taste anything like the fish I'd have at home. I didn't dare say this aloud, however, for I knew that noblemen considered fish unclean. The dates and figs were sweet and succulent. It was all to die for.

As I ate, though, I began to think about my home in the Market District. Many times, I would walk down the street and find a small child shivering in the corner of an alley. Sometimes they would have siblings with them. They were dirty and homeless and absolutely alone in the world. Those children were orphans like I was, but unlike me, they had not had the good fortune of finding someone like Karn. I once asked her if we could take them in, but she explained to me that there just wasn't enough room or money they could spare.

Too often, these children were emaciated from malnourishment, bruised from merchants beating them when they were caught trying to steal food for themselves and their loved ones. They would beg on the street to anyone who'd listen for money or food, so desperate to stay alive. So many times, they were passed by without a second glance. It broke my heart to see them suffer as I'd think about how Ferod was wasting all of our vegetables on those stupid donkeys that weren't even his own and were already too fat for their own good, while these poor children had to starve, their abilities to stand and walk coming only from their fiery will to feed their families. These children were dying every day because they'd lost their dearest parents, and yet were not yet old enough to find work.

And here I was, stuffing my face with all these delectable foods, not knowing where the servants took the leftovers when we were finished. The more I thought about it, the sicker I felt. What made my life so great? I thought.

Suddenly, I didn't feel so hungry anymore.

* * *

Atem glanced over at Rhea. Her face was looking a little green, and her hands were folded in her lap. Her emerald eyes were staring down at her half-eaten plate of food.

"What's the matter with you," he whispered. "You sounded like you were starving a minute ago."

Rhea sighed. "I just…sort of lost my appetite." The Prince raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? Is our meal not good enough for you?"

"No, it's not that." She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. It was then that he saw her pained expression. "Everything here is wonderful."

* * *

The Pharaoh noticed their quiet conversation, and the wounded look in Rhea's eyes. He prayed to the gods that Atem hadn't been the cause of it.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" he asked. The young girl turned to face him, the slight grin she'd pasted on her face very obviously forced.

"No, sir," she replied. "Everything is just fine."

She made it clear in that small response that she didn't want to reveal her thoughts just yet, so he didn't press further. Something told Aknamkanon that it wasn't his son, but some deeper pain that she was holding, one that could only come from something or someone very close to her heart.

Instead, he attempted to lighten the heavy atmosphere that had loomed over the table. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"So, Rhea," the Pharaoh said, his voice booming with a positive energy he hadn't had just a few moments ago. "Perhaps you could show us that Shadow Creature we've all heard so much about."

* * *

_And I thought news spread fast around the Market District, _I thought, still a tad gloomy. _You ready, Kuriboh?_

_Born ready, Master,_ Kuriboh replied confidently.

I stood in preparation. I figured, as long as I was here, a little dramatic entrance couldn't hurt. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, lifting my arms straight out beside me, palms upward.

* * *

Atem rolled his eyes. She hadn't needed this much time in order to save him. Whatever, he thought. He wasn't going to make another reckless quarrel like last time. No, he was just going to sit back and watch like everyone else.

All of a sudden, Rhea's body started glowing green—the same shade as her eyes. Her entire essence was turning bright green, ripples of energy flowing around her like flames. A bright jet of energy shot out the top of the emerald fire, flew a couple of cubits into the air, then came down beside her shoulder, forming the great brown mass that had saved his life earlier that day.

The Pharaoh and his Guardians were awestruck. Atem wasn't so impressed. What was so amazing about a little brown furball? Kuriboh cooed once, spiraling up into the air and doing tricks. The adults laughed.

Shimon was the first to speak after the laughter had died down a bit. "So, this adorable thing is your Shadow Creature?" he asked.

"I guess you could say that," Rhea answered. "Though, I wouldn't exactly say he's a Shadow."

"What do you mean by that?" Shada spoke for the first time since dinner had started. "Doesn't it feed on the darkness in your heart?"

Mahad theorized, "If it did, I don't think it would have saved the Prince from that arrow. I believe this Creature is something different from what we've seen before."

_Unbelievable,_ Atem thought. _They're talking about her and her Creature as if they are livestock, and they're standing in this very room!_ Atem didn't care if he sounded like a hypocrite. He knew what it felt like to have people talking about him while he was in their midst.

"Are you saying that this thing could be some sort of Light Creature? I've never heard of such a thing."

"A Shadow Creature certainly would not survive long after such a selfless act as saving another human. I think this 'Kuriboh' might just be the manifestation of the girl's kindness rather than her rage. Besides, take a good look at her, Shada. Does this girl seem very vengeful to you?"

"No, I suppose not. It would make sense. What do you think, Pharaoh?" Atem's father scratched his chin in thought. After a few moments, he spoke with a reply.

"I do believe Rhea's Creature is that of a superior light in her heart, rather than her darkness. However, if she _was_ to become a guardian of my son—provided she is given a choice as to whether or not to accept such a position—then she must have training. If she was ever caught in sudden combat, she would need a way to defend herself as well as her Kuriboh. Having had only a glimpse of it myself, I do not believe it was created for violent purposes. Your Kuriboh is not a fighter, is it, Rhea?"

"No, I suppose not. Though, I've never tried fighting with him before."

"And you're sure this thing is male," Seto asked, as if it mattered.

"I hear his voice in my head. It sounds like the voice of a young boy." She said this as if it were the only proof she needed as to its gender.

"Very well then," the Pharaoh announced. "Rhea, you and your Kuriboh will be training in mortal combat. This includes spells and weaponry as your tools. But only if you wish to stay here and protect my son."

* * *

It was a tough decision. If I stayed, I could learn magic and possibly live like one of the Pharaoh's top assistants. But I'd also have to be stuck with his royal bratness (no matter how good-looking he was). On the other hand, if I went back, I'd spend the rest of my life wondering if I'd missed out on a golden opportunity. Plus, if the Prince were to be killed shortly after my declining, then the rescue would have been for nothing, and I'd only have myself to blame for not being there to protect him.

"Alright," I said finally. "I'll do it. I agree to be the Prince's personal guard."

The Pharaoh nodded. "Good. You'll be given quarters here in the palace. You'll be tended to by servants as any of the nobles would be. You will receive the same annual pay as the high-ranking generals of my army, as I consider the safety of my son a top priority. From this day forth, you are officially of _noble _status. So let it be written, so let it be done."

My jaw nearly hit the floor. I hadn't expected so much so soon. "Sire, you're too kind. I don't need all of this. If it is at all possible, I would like to have only one servant. Her name is Auset, and she helped Kuriboh and me get ready for tonight's dinner. I really don't need much more assistance than hers. Also, I would like to keep the room in which I am currently residing." The king seemed a bit taken aback to hear my requests.

"Of course," he agreed. "I shall comply with your wishes. I must say you are quite well-spoken. May I ask where you received your education?"

I paused. I had expected this. It was kind of hard to miss that someone of my…former…status as a peasant could be so formal after just one day in the palace. I took a deep breath as I said his name. "My father Bato taught me the formalities of the palace and its nobles."

"Bato…that name sounds familiar." The Pharaoh pondered my father's name for a moment.

"He was a highly successful merchant," I said, answering the question that I knew was on his mind: _Where had he heard that name before?_ "You often did business with him. I believe one year you bought a gift for your son's eighth birthday from him."

The Pharaoh snapped his fingers triumphantly at the recollection. "Of course! The senet set, such beautiful carvings. He was quite the businessman, and so cordial. It is such a shame that a nice man like that had to pass so soon."

_Yeah,_ I thought. _It's a_ _real shame._

"I'm sure he'd be proud of you if he could see you now." The Pharaoh smiled as if he meant it, but I wasn't so sure. It had always been difficult to please my father. He would probably have expected me to get the Prince to marry me at this point. I knew it would be an impossible venture, but my father would not. He was never satisfied with anything I did. Nothing was ever good enough for him. It drove him insane. That's the only reason I could ever think of as to why he would beat my brother and me so senselessly.

No, I couldn't think of that now. He was dead. My brother was dead. They both died long ago. I couldn't think about that now!

"Thank you, sire," I said. "If you don't mind, I'm a little tired, and would like to get some rest for tomorrow. I want to be at my best my first day on the job." I smiled weakly, chuckling at my halfhearted attempt at a joke.

"Of course," the Pharaoh nodded. He turned to his son, still sitting bitterly in his chair. "Son, why don't you escort her back to her room?" The Prince grimaced slightly before rising.

"Yes, Father," he sighed. He placed a hand on my back to guide me back to my room. As he touched me, I felt a slight shock spread through my body, most intensely where his hand was. I casually glanced at him to see if he felt it as well, but his expression hadn't changed. In fact, his frown seemed to have deepened. He stared at the floor, refusing to look at me. My back tingled. It was…strange. I'd never had this sort of physical reaction before.

* * *

_What is this feeling_, Atem kept thinking as the two walked back to the girl's chambers, _this wave of energy that's flowing up and down my arm? I don't understand. What has this girl done to me?_

"We're here," he said stiffly when they reached her room. There was a moment of awkward silence between them as they stared at each other. Finally, Atem tore his gaze away from her hypnotic eyes and stormed down the hallway to his father's study. He knew his father would go there after he was finished eating.

He opened the door to find that he'd been beaten there.

"Did you get lost as well, son?" the Pharaoh joked. Atem felt himself blush.

"You're a fool, Father. Why would you give her so much in one day? You barely know her!"

"And I suppose you've known her for quite a while, have you?"

"That's not the point, Father!"

"Then what is, Atem? You've been incredibly rude to this girl from the very beginning. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were afraid you might start to have feelings for this girl."

Atem dodged his father's intense gaze. "That's preposterous," he said, staring at the ground. "She's a commoner. I'm a noble." He clenched his fist that had touched Rhea's back.

His father shook his head. "When are you going to learn, Atem? Class has nothing to do with it."

"Then what does, Father?" The Pharaoh merely smiled.

"You will learn in due time, my son. But for now, I think it best if you got some sleep. You will be giving Rhea a tour of the palace tomorrow after your magic lessons with Mahad. I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Yes, Father," Atem sighed. He'd been hearing that a lot lately. Without another word, he turned and left the study.

* * *

As soon as Aknamkanon was sure his son was gone, he let his regal shoulders fall. As soon as he did so, he was launched into a coughing fit. It wasn't the first time. Ever since he'd begged the gods to protect his son, his health had been steadily deteriorating. He supposed it was the price to pay to ensure Atem's safety. But he couldn't let anyone know the damage that it had done to him, especially Atem. The king was the only one the boy would listen to anymore. He was still his son's idol. If he even hinted at the fact that his health was failing him, he couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of pain his son would feel.

No, he couldn't let anyone see what was happening. He regained his breath slowly, unsteadily. He thought about his late wife. The image of her sweet face brought a smile to his tired face.

_Oh my dear,_ he thought. _If only you could see the strength our son has gained. Maybe this girl is the key to bringing out his former self. Perhaps she can do what no one else has been able to, just like you did with me._

In fact, Atem reminded the king of himself in more ways than one, which could prove to be both a blessing and a curse. Only time would tell which would prevail.

* * *

The fact I added about the nobles and fish is actually true. I'm trying to stay as close to actual ancient Egyptian culture as I can. I want it to be as accurate as possible.

Also, you could say the sensation that Atem and Rhea were feeling was almost electric, but since electricity wouldn't be discovered until Ben Franklin came along in the 1870s, I had to stick with as close a representation of electricity as I could. Yeah, not easy. :-/

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. I'll have another chapter up next month. :D

Please fave and review! 3


	4. Lesson

_A woman. A queen! She's beautiful._

_Her eyes. They're my eyes. Is that me?_

_So many Kuribohs. I've never seen so many before in my life!_

_They're all gathering together. What are they doing?_

_Ah! No. It hurts. They have to stop. If they keep destroying themselves like this, I'll die. I don't want to die. Why won't I stop them?_

_Is that the Pharaoh? Why is he crying? Is it because of me? Don't cry for me, Pharaoh._

_No, dear. You have to stay behind and protect the Pharaoh…_

_Protect the Pharaoh…_

_Pharaoh… Forgive me…_

* * *

I sat up gasping, covered in a cold sweat. Immediately, I was blinded by the rising sun shining into my eyes. I raised my arm to cover my eyes. Damn. The Pharaoh had said that my first magic lessons were to begin at dawn. And judging by the bright orb blinding me as I climbed out of my new bed, dawn had already come.

I heard a knock on my door. It was Auset.

"Madam, Master Mahad and the others are wondering where you are. They worry something may have happened to you."

"Tell them I am fine," I told her. "I merely overslept. Tell them it will not happen again." Auset nodded and left to deliver the message.

_So, there are gonna be a bunch of me when you die?_ Kuriboh asked.

_Apparently,_ I replied. _I've never gotten that little detail before_.

Of course, it wasn't the first time new details have come up. I've been having the same dream since I was a child; there were just finer details every time. The first time I had this dream, I was eight years old. It was just after my father had died and I'd moved in with Karn and Ferod. When I woke up, the only thing I could determine was that someone had died. I didn't have the dream again for a while, so eventually I just forgot about it. It was the second time I had the dream that I realized that I was the one who had died. The more time that passed, the more frequently I would have the dream. And the more details would become clear.

The last time I'd had it, the day I met the Prince, I'd learned that the Pharaoh would find me. I don't know how I knew it was the Pharaoh, because I couldn't see his face. Something just told me it was him.

That was the thing with the dream. The order that the details revealed themselves in was completely random. There was no way of determining what would be clear next.

As I changed into suitable day clothes, I began to think about how the Prince would react when I arrived. No doubt, he would scold me for being late again. He was probably pacing the grounds at this moment, growling about how much of a bother I was, and how I shouldn't even be here in the first place.

* * *

"She shouldn't even be here in the first place," Atem growled, pacing back and forth across the grounds. He had never been a very patient man. But the Pharaoh had strictly said that her lessons were supposed to begin at dawn. That was almost a half hour ago, and she still had yet to arrive. "She is too much of a nuisance for her own good."

"Calm down, my Prince," Mahad chided his student and childhood friend. "It may take her a while to get used to her new schedule. She hasn't lived in the palace as long as we have. The servant girl said that she had overslept. Perhaps her sleeping patterns are different from ours." Atem merely scoffed and continued his pacing.

Mahad sighed. Her lack of punctuality was rather distressing. If she was to guard the Prince from now on, she would have to learn to be able to be called at a moment's notice; even if that meant she'd have to cut short her beauty sleep. However, if they waited any longer, he would have to dismiss his students without teaching them anything. He went ahead and started his lessons, and everyone began their training.

* * *

"I'm here." Rhea came running from the palace entrance. She came to a stop next to Mahad, bending over and panting to catch her breath.

Keeping his face stern, Mahad scolded the girl. "Milady, you are a noble now. You should not be running if you are not in any danger."

Rhea stood, still panting. "I'm sorry, sir," she said. "It seems I may have forgotten some of my father's lessons."

Mahad nodded, unfazed. "Well, let us hope you will not forget any of mine. You may find yourself in need of them someday."

He turned away from her, back to the small class of magicians in training. All in all, there were about six of them—seven, including Rhea. Ever since the attack on the Imperial City that had caused the forgery of the Millennium Items, the Pharaoh had deduced that a stronger magical defense was needed. If there was ever another attack on the city that required some sort of military action, perhaps sorcery and spells would cause fewer casualties than brute force. At least, that was what the Pharaoh was hoping.

Mahad had to admit, at first, the goal seemed a little lofty—and even now, as he gazed out at his miniscule class, he knew that any passerby would assume that none of them would be strong enough to protect the entire Imperial City—but he had watched his students grow and change. They had made so much progress since their first lessons. He knew that, with enough training, they would grow to be incredible magicians. And he had a feeling Rhea would be the same way.

* * *

I felt a little nervous beginning my new magic lessons. Last night, Mahad had seemed so amiable. But today, he was stern and cold, like he didn't even know me.

As if reading my mind, Mahad spoke, still not tearing his eyes away from the rest of his class. "You may have noticed a change in my behavior from yesterday. That is because I am no longer just a fellow noble. I am now your teacher as well. While taking lessons from me, you will find that I am quite strict with my students, and therefore demand respect from all of them." He looked down at me. "This means I will not excuse any more late arrivals on your part. Am I understood?"

I stiffened, bowing to show my respect to my new master. "Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

"Good. Now, I'll be pairing you with Mana. She is one of my top students. I hope you will learn well from her." He pointed to a girl just a tad taller than me. She was holding a blue and pink rod with a yellow stone at the tip. She was pointing the rod at a large clay brick, her face scrunched up in focus.

Suddenly, the brick began to glow as it rose off the ground. It hovered in place, and the girl smiled brightly. She rested her hands on her hips proudly, staring at her handiwork.

"Easy as pie," she said to herself. I walked up to her nervously.

"Excuse me," I said. Apparently, my intrusion had broken her of her concentration, because as she looked up at me, the brick stopped glowing and fell back to the ground with a loud crack, breaking into three pieces. The girl looked back at the brick and whined.

"Aww. And I was just starting to get the hang of it, too." She seemed to remember that I was standing there, as she looked back up at me and smiled. "What can I help you with?" she asked.

"I was told you would help teach me some magic?" I said, forming it more like a question than a statement. A look of recognition crossed her face.

"Oh, you must be the new girl," she said. She smiled again, holding out her hand. "My name is Mana. What's yours?"

"Rhea," I replied, shaking her hand. "Mahad tells me you're one of his top students."

Mana nodded. "Yep. I'm his second best apprentice." She held out one hand with her index and middle fingers extended into a V.

"Who would be the first," I asked. Mana pointed her magician's rod over my shoulder.

"That would be the Prince. He's a natural!" I turned to where she was pointing. Five bricks twice the size of Mana's danced in the air, twirling and flipping as if they were alive. While the bricks looked lively and weightless, the Prince looked bored to tears. He was sitting cross-legged under a tree with a bored look in his eyes, resting his cheek on his fist, using the other hand to maneuver the bricks expertly through the air in intricate patterns.

My mouth fell open a little. Was there really that much of a difference in their skill? I turned back to the rest of the class. They seemed to be having even more trouble than Mana was. Most of them couldn't even get their bricks off the ground, let alone to hover for minutes at a time. I was beginning to think that the whole "learning magic and combat to protect the Prince" thing wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Don't worry," Mana assured me. "Once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake."

"So I see."

* * *

Mana had been kind enough to let me borrow her magician's rod to try to complete the spell. She showed me the basics of spell casting, and set up one of her brick pieces as practice. I tried to focus, uttered the magic words and…

Nothing.

I sighed, readjusting my stance, hoping that it might have a better outcome. I focused my energy and…

Again, nothing.

No wonder everyone else was having so much difficulty with it. This was a lot harder than it looked.

"Your feet are in the wrong position." I turned. It wasn't Mana who had said that. It was the Prince. He was standing a few cubits away, watching me. He had his arms crossed, and the bored look from before hadn't left his eyes. Behind him, his practice bricks had been stacked in a neat column. He really was good.

I suddenly felt nervous at his watching me. How was I supposed to protect him if I couldn't even do a simple spell like levitation?

"I, I-I…W-w-well…"

"Listen," he interrupted. He walked up right behind me, using his feet to reposition mine. He took my arms, and shifted them a bit just below my breasts. "Don't focus on the brick as a weight. Try to imagine that it has no mass, that it weighs nothing. Then guide your energy from your core to your shoulder, through your arm, and out the rod. Don't to focus too hard or you could shoot it into the air and hurt someone. Just relax and let the energy flow through you."

The feeling of his breath on the back of my neck was making my skin tingle. I was getting the same feeling as I did last night. I took a deep breath to steady myself. I closed my eyes, and imagined that the brick was floating, that it didn't weigh a thing. I reopened my eyes and felt my energy bubbling in my gut. I took a little bit of that energy and lifted it up into my shoulder. Using my arm as the tunnel, I shot the energy through the magician's rod and out the end. The brick began to glow green and rose a few centimeters from the ground.

A feeling of joy bubbled up inside me. I'd done it! I'd really done it! My first day of magic lessons, and I was already levitating.

"I did it!" I said, smiling. "Thank you so much!" Without thinking, I turned around, forcing my arms from his grip, and threw my arms around the Prince's neck. I couldn't help it. I was practically giddy with excitement. Maybe I wasn't so bad at this, after all.

It wasn't until I heard the Prince clear his throat awkwardly that I realized what I was doing. I quickly let go of him, shoving my arms behind my back. I backed up several paces, trying to put as much distance between me and the Prince as possible. I felt my face burning as I stared at the ground, humiliated. I'd never been so embarrassed in my life.

I heard someone whistle, and Mahad greeted his students again. "Today's lessons are over! All are dismissed."

_Oh, thank the gods_, I thought.

* * *

_Oh, thank the gods_, Atem thought at Mahad's announcement. He quickly bid Rhea and Mana farewell and walked as quickly as possible to breakfast.

As he was teaching her the spell's footwork, he'd tried to ignore the jarring sensation his hands and feet had been giving him. He found his heart racing at being in such close proximity to her. Just touching her seemed to faze him.

But when she'd turned around and hugged him, it was like he had been struck by lightning. To say he'd been taken by surprise would have been an understatement. For a split second, all he could see was white as every sensor in his body screamed at him of her presence.

Once his head had finally cleared, however, he was able to regain enough composure to clear his throat as an indicator for her to let go. Luckily, she got the hint. It was a good thing she wasn't looking up at him to notice his face about as flushed as hers. Those few moments of awkwardness before Mahad dismissed them seemed to drag by forever.

Curse his father for dragging them together, he thought. It seemed like the closer they got to one another, the more his body would react. And the more his body would react, the more scared of her he became. It wasn't like she was a danger to him. But the way he would respond to her was so unfamiliar to him, if he was truly honest with himself, it frightened him a little. He wanted nothing more than to stay as far away from this strange girl as possible.

He was so deep in thought that he almost walked straight into a strange cloaked man.

"Pardon me, my Prince," the man said gruffly, his accent rather strange. "Please accept my humblest apologies." Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but Atem could swear he could detect just the slightest hint of sarcasm in the man's voice.

"Why are you here?" Atem asked.

"I came to visit my daughter. She is one of your servants here in the palace, and it's been so long since I've seen her."

Atem sighed, not in the mood to argue with anyone right now. "Fine. But be quick about it."

"Of course, sir." The man walked off without another word. Halfway down the corridor, he sidestepped, revealing a terrified Rhea. "My apologies miss. It seems I'm rather clumsy today." He bowed to her and continued down the hallway.

Rhea stood frozen in place for a moment, staring at the stranger. Then, she turned to the prince. Immediately, she started running towards him, in the opposite direction of the cloaked man. As she ran by him, she grabbed his hand, sending another wave of energy up his arm, dragging him behind her as she ran.

"What are you doing?" Atem demanded, fighting her surprisingly tight grip. "Why are you running?" She didn't answer until they were a good distance from where they had been. They rounded a corner, and she finally stopped. She let go of his hand, and they both rested their hands on their knees to catch their breath.

"What in the world was that for?" Atem asked. "Why did you drag me so far down the corridor?"

Still panting, Rhea stood up and stared at him, a fearful look in her eyes. "You don't understand," she said. "That man tried to kill you yesterday!"


	5. Distraction

"Today's lessons are over! All are dismissed."

_Oh, thank the gods!_ I thought desperately.

"I must be going," the Prince said hastily. "Rhea, Mana, I bid you farewell." He walked away without another word.

"Goodbye, Prince!" Mana yelled after him, waving vigorously. "He's a great guy, isn't he?"

I stared at her, a little confused. She held a genuine smile on her face, so I didn't think she was joking.

"Yes," I said cautiously. "Wonderful." Suddenly, I heard a stomach growl. Mana clutched her stomach.

"Whoops! Guess that means it's time for breakfast. You wanna come with me? My mom's cooking is fantastic!"

"No, thank you," I told her. "I have to stay with the Prince."

"Oh, yeah. That's right. You're his new guardian, aren't you? Well, I don't want to keep you from your new job. See ya!" She waved to me, smiling as she ran to the exit of the grounds. I smiled. One day here, and I've already made a friend. I turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

I entered the corridor that I'd seen the Prince enter. I paused. The man he was talking to seemed awfully familiar for some reason. I couldn't quite put my finger on it as to why.

The man bowed to the Prince and began to walk my way. As he got closer, I began to feel his aura, and I recognized him immediately. He stopped in front of me, bowing as he had to the Prince.

"My apologies miss," the man said. I took note of his rough voice and strange accent. "It seems I'm rather clumsy today." He flashed me a dangerous smile, and what little doubts I'd previously had now vanished. This was the attempted assassin. I tried to see the rest of his face, but it was hidden underneath the shadow of his cloak. I stood there, shaking, terrified of being in such close proximity with such a deadly man.

Once I was sure he couldn't return for us, I took off running. I knew the rule about running, but I considered both the Prince's and my health to be at risk with this man. I grabbed the Prince's hand and continued running down the corridor. Ignoring his irritated shouts, I dragged him down the corridor. I rounded a corner just to be sure we were safe, and I finally stopped. I bent over, panting, my fearful adrenaline rush now passed.

"What in the world was that for?" the Prince asked beside me. "Why did you drag me all the way down the corridor?"

As bravely as I possibly could, I stood up and looked him straight in the eye. "You don't understand," I said. "That man tried to kill you yesterday."

* * *

Atem was stunned! "Are you sure," he asked. Had he really been within arm's reach of his attempted murderer just now? And if so, then why hadn't the man taken the opportunity to try again?

"I'm absolutely sure. I couldn't see his face, but a dark aura of that magnitude is hard to forget."

_How did I not sense it?_ Atem wondered. _More importantly, what is he doing here?_

The answer hit him like a load of bricks.

_Father…_

"We have to find my father _immediately!_"

"Where would he be right now?" Atem glanced around to find his bearings.

"This way." He quickly ran down the northernmost hallway with Rhea following close behind.

"Are you sure he'll be here," he heard her ask. He didn't answer. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to move faster. The only thing he could think of was to protect his father at all costs.

They arrived at a closed door. Atem carefully held his ear to the polished wood. He could hear his father talking to several of the lords in his council. Atem had hoped he'd never have to face these men again. He'd managed to avoid them for almost ten years. But right now, the only thing that mattered was the safety of the Pharaoh.

"So far, it sounds as if nothing has happened," he whispered, turning back to Rhea. "But, just to be safe, I need you to get close to my father. Protect him. Create a distraction if you must."

"What will you do?"

"I know of several secret entrances and hiding places. I would use them to listen in on my father's meetings when I was younger. I'm going to see if any of them have been infiltrated. The assassin might have used one of them as a vantage point. Even if he hasn't, if his _is_ indeed in there, I'll be able to have a bird's eye view to try and find him." Rhea stared at the boy, looking rather dumbfounded.

"…That's positively ingenious."

"For your information, I'm smarter than I look." This girl was starting to get on Atem's last nerve.

She shook her head quickly, raising her palms to him apologetically. "No, that's not what I meant at all. I meant that I'm impressed that you were able to come up with all of that so quickly."

"I'm going to be Pharaoh someday. I have to learn to make decisions as quickly as possible."

"Right, of course."

"As soon as I round that corner, open that door and find any way you can to stay close to my father. We'll meet here once everything has been settled."

He started to leave. "Wait!" She grabbed his arm, sending another distressing wave through his arm, jarring his senses momentarily. _How is she _doing_ that?_

"What?" Atem asked, rather irritably.

"Why am I the one to distract the meeting?" Her voice and eyes made it clear that she wasn't used to causing interruptions, a skill he'd somehow perfected over the years. Atem sighed, growing steadily more anxious with every second wasted.

"Because," he replied stiffly, "it would take too long to explain to you where each and every one of the hidden entrances is. Plus, even if you were attacked, you have your Kuriboh to protect both you and my father."

Hesitantly, Rhea released his arm and nodded. "Alright," she said. "I trust you."

Atem nodded back to her silently before bolting back down the corridor, rounding the corner towards his first destination.

* * *

I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to come up with an excuse for interrupting what I gathered to be a very important conference. However, I wasn't given a chance to back out, for as soon as I saw the Prince disappear, I pushed the door open into the council room. A total of ten pairs of eyes turned to stare at me. I froze. What was I going to say?

I gathered up all the courage I could muster and spoke. "I sincerely apologize for my interruption, Your Highness."

The Pharaoh continued to give me an incredulous look. I didn't like him giving me that look. "Not at all, Rhea," he replied warily. "Shouldn't you be with my son?"

I could tell by his tone that he was _not_ happy with me.

"It…was actually your son who sent me here, sire. He…wanted me to give you a message, but…er…Master Mahad has him…tied up with a little bit of extra magic practice. Quite literally."

Still unsure, the Pharaoh replied, "And what was this message that he needed me to hear so urgently?" I began to twist my fingers together nervously. I was never any good at lying, and having such a large audience wasn't helping matters any.

"Ummm, he…told me to tell you in private. He…didn't want anyone else to hear." I glanced around the council room at the other nine men. Most of them were around the Pharaoh's age. A few of them either bald or wore a wig, typical of a room full of nobles. It was all about the cleanliness of their appearance. One of them had a rather large middle, and reminded me of one of Ferod's overfed friends.

"Would you like to step outside for a minute, so we can talk?"

My heart nearly stopped. I hadn't expected him to ask something like that. The Prince never said what to do if he asked that. I glanced around the in a silent panic, looking for _some_ sort of sign from the Prince. When I couldn't find one, I faced the Pharaoh again.

"Er…I, I suppose that'd be alright." The Pharaoh stood from his chair and followed me out the door through which I had entered. He closed the door behind him, and I was left alone, standing in a deserted corridor with a powerful man. Flashbacks were racing through my mind. I shook them away.

There was a part of me that wanted to run, to tell him "never mind," that it had all been a misunderstanding. It wanted so badly to sprint back to my bedchambers, pack what few things I had, and return to Karn. But I couldn't do that.

I took a deep breath. "Sire, your son and I ran into his attempted assassin earlier this morning, and we believe he may be here to try and kill you." The Prince might end up being furious with me, but I figured it was probably best to tell him the truth.

The Pharaoh's stern expression concerned me. "You're sure it was him?" he asked. I nodded.

"Absolutely. We believe he is still in the palace somewhere, and came to the conclusion that, since his mission to kill your son was a failure, that he would try his luck with 'bigger prey,' pardon my reference."

"Right." The Pharaoh scratched his salt-and-pepper beard for a moment. "This is very disturbing news. And you're sure it was the same man from before."

"Their auras were exactly the same, sir."

"Hmmm. That _is_ distressing. Thank you for telling me this, Rhea. I'll have the guards increase security around each of the exits. No one is allowed to enter or exit the palace without my written consent."

"Of course, sir." I turned to walk away, thankful that my part had been a success.

"One last thing," the Pharaoh said, stopping me in my tracks.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"My son isn't really with Mahad, is he?" There was a mischievous twinkle in the old man's eyes. I couldn't hide my smile.

"No, sir. He isn't."

"I didn't think so. Thank you, Rhea. Is that all?"

I bowed to him. "Yes, Pharaoh. That will be all."

"Then you are dismissed. I will alert the captain of the guard immediately of the infiltration." He reentered the council room, leaving me alone in the large, rather frightening hallway.

Now that all the adrenaline and nerves had worn off, I realized that I had _absolutely no idea_ where I was. I'd heard the Prince say something about meeting up, but my heart had been pounding in my ears when it finally hit me that _I_ would have to be the distraction. I hadn't heard where he'd said to meet.

_Damn,_ I thought. _I should have asked him to repeat where he'd said our meeting place was._

So, I did the only thing I could do; I began to wander the halls until I found someone who could help me. This proved helpful in more ways than one. First, I found somebody that could tell me where in Ra's name I had been left. Second, it helped me learn a few of the hallways so that I might not get lost next time. And third, it gave me time to sort out my thoughts.

As I began to recap over the last few minutes' events, I found myself smiling a bit. In that short amount of time, I had chipped away at one of the Prince's many tough layers. Perhaps he wasn't the selfish, arrogant, self-absorbed brat he seemed to be. Instead of wanting to find a dark hiding place to protect himself, he'd immediately raced to find his father and protect him at all costs.

I hadn't thought about it at the time, and I doubt anyone else would have noticed it, but I couldn't help but remember the spark that had flashed through his eyes at the realization that his father was in danger. However, it wasn't a spark of gladness or relief. It was more of a look of desperate terror and concern.

I almost envied his love for his father. I could never afford such a luxury for fear of being heartbroken all over again. My mother had died shortly after I was born, and my father was always angry. He liked to use my brother and me as the outlets of his aggression. It wasn't all the time, though, just whenever he would dip into his stash of red wine. I always saw the wine as my brother's and my blood, as that was the only thing that came out of his drunken rages.

Everything was always our fault when he was drunk, even things that didn't have a problem to begin with. He would somehow find a problem with something and blame it on us. Sometimes it would be my brother's fault, but I was always Bato's favorite target. If he was too lazy to rise from his chair he would merely throw empty wine containers at me, but most of the time he would take the "learning stick" to my backside. I wouldn't be able to sit down for weeks at a time. I learned to sleep on my side with my back facing the wall. That way, he couldn't come back for a second time. Not like a child stood much of a chance against a full grown man, but it was a small feeling of security that helped me bear another night of pain.

My punishments were nothing compared to my brother's, though. They may have been fewer and farther between, but the degrees of pain to which my brother suffered were practically unbearable. Yet he endured them with every ounce of strength he had.

I began to reminisce about the first time I was able to summon Kuriboh. The memory was painful, yet-in some strange and twisted way-it was somewhat pleasant as well.

However, before I could fully dissolve into the world of my memories, someone grabbed me from behind. I tried to scream, but the shadowy figure placed a hand firmly over my mouth, pulling me sharply into the darkness of the hidden corridor through which he had emerged.

I knew I was going to die.

* * *

_Ooohhh, another cliffhanger. Who has taken Rhea? Is it the assassin? And where is the Prince? What will he do when he finds out that Rhea has gone missing? Find out next month! :D_

_Thank you to all of you who have been reviewing my story. You've no idea how inspiring they have been for me to keep writing. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I would have quit a long time ago. In short, the more you comment, the more I'll write. Love you all!_


	6. Anxiety

Atem found the nearest entrance and immediately slipped inside. He paused for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. He couldn't stop the wave of nostalgia as he thought back to all the "private" meetings that he'd been able to listen to. He was incredibly grateful that whoever had built this and all the other secret doors had had the forethought to connect them all. This way, he wouldn't have to check each one individually like he'd told Rhea.

True, it wasn't right to lie to her like that, but there wasn't enough time to argue. Plus, if he was perfectly honest with himself, he was kind of glad he didn't have to face the other council members again. Not after what had happened. He still cringed as he remembered the judgmental, condescending stares of all nine of them.

He could tell that Rhea had done exactly as he'd asked as he heard her stammer through her impromptu distraction. "I sincerely apologize for my interruption, Your Highness."

He peeked through the hidden slits in the wall, glancing around the room to make sure there were no possible threats.

"Not at all, Rhea. Shouldn't you be with my son?"

Atem saw Rhea's tense posture. The fear in her eyes was impossible to miss.

"It…was actually your son who sent me here, sire. He…wanted me to give you a message, but…err…Master Mahad has him…tied up with a little bit of extra magic practice. Quite literally."

_A bit of a stretch,_ the Prince thought. _But, I guess it'll work._ He continued through the small, dark hallway, occasionally checking the meeting room from different vantage points for anything unusual.

"And what was this message that he needed me to hear so urgently?"

_What is she going to come up with?_ Atem wondered.

"Umm, he…told me to tell you in private. He…didn't want anyone else to hear."

_Rhea, don't you even think about it_.

"Would you like to step outside for a minute, so we can talk?"

Atem looked through another peephole only to see that Rhea's anxiety level had increased dramatically. Her eyes were darting around the room, probably looking for some sign from him for how to respond._ Don't think I'm helping you out of this one,_ he thought. _You're on your own._ He pulled away from the wall, climbing the steps in front of him in order to get a good view from above.

He listened as Rhea and the Pharaoh left the meeting room, leaving the council members alone to talk amongst themselves.

"Who _was_ that girl?" one of the wigged council members asked.

"Didn't you hear?" one of the bald ones replied. "She's the commoner from the Market District who saved the Prince's life."

"Yes, I remember hearing about that," said the other bald man. "She used her Shadow Creature as a shield. And, as thanks, the boy arrested her!"

"Ungrateful, as usual," the fat one growled. It was obvious he'd slipped into the wine storages again. "She should have done us all a favor, and stayed right where she was."

"So, if he arrested her, what is she doing _here?_"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wig Two said. "The Pharaoh overrode his son's order, and instead had her promoted!"

Bald One laughed. "And you'll never guess what he promoted her to."

Wig One shrugged. "What?"

"She's now the Prince's personal guardian!" Wig Three exclaimed.

"I don't know who to feel worse for," Bald Three chimed in. "The Prince, or the girl."

"What makes you say that?" asked Bald One.

"Well, I feel bad for her because she has to spend every waking hour with someone like him, but I feel bad for the Prince because he now has a constant reminder of his actions."

The longer the conversation went on, the more Atem's stomach dropped. This was why he didn't visit these corridors anymore. Listening to these men berate him and his character always made him hate himself more. He was well aware of the fact that his behavior that day was less than admirable. He turned away from the peephole and let his back fall against the wall, slowly sliding down the wall to the floor. He crossed his arms and rested them on his knees. He rested his forehead on his arms and sighed.

He heard his father reenter the room, and the councilmen's chatter quieted down immediately.

"I thank you all again for coming this morning, gentlemen," the Pharaoh announced. "I apologize for the interruption. Unfortunately, we have had a breach in security, and I'm afraid this meeting will have to be cut short until tomorrow."

Each of the men bid farewell to their king and left. They exited through the door opposite the one the Pharaoh had entered had used. The last one closed the door behind him.

"Atem, can you hear me?"

Atem's head shot up.

"Atem, I know you're here somewhere," his father continued. "What? You think you're the first one to discover those passages?" The Pharaoh's deep, warm laugh provided a small comfort to the depressed young prince. He allowed himself a small smile.

"Now, Rhea has alerted me about the assassin being somewhere in the palace, and I'll be taking care of it immediately."

Atem slowly stood with his back still to the wall. He closed his eyes, letting the rare peaceful moment envelop him.

Finally, he whispered, "Thank you, Father," and ran to the door through which he'd first entered.

* * *

_Dammit_,_ Rhea!_

He'd left the first secret door to find that Rhea was nowhere to be found. He specifically told her that they would meet again right where they'd left each other. He ran back into the secret corridor listening through the walls of the other entrances for any sign of her.

_Damn it all! What if the assassin found her?_

He'd almost given up when he heard movement outside the door closest to the hidden stairwell. He peeked out. There she was, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Before he could even stop and think he forced the door open.

* * *

My body was filled with complete and utter terror as I felt the man wrap his arm around my waist, pinning my arms to my sides. I wanted to scream for someone to help me, but he had his other hand over my mouth. I was forced backwards, drowning in darkness as we fell through the corridor through which he had emerged. I fought as hard as I could, but his grip was like iron. My eyes stung as hot tears began to well up. I couldn't die like this! I thought.

"Rhea, calm down," the Prince hissed in my ear. "It's just me."

I froze. Was it really him?

"I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth. Do you promise not to scream?" I nodded, letting him know I was beginning to think rationally again. Slowly, I felt the pressure over my mouth disappear. Almost immediately, my muscles began to relax. Once the feeling of imminent death had faded away, I had to admit that I was growing rather comfortable, though I'd never admit it to him. Having his strong arm surround me gave me a feeling of security. _How funny_, I thought. _I feel protected being held by the man I'm supposed to be protecting._

To my disappointment, the Prince unexpectedly dropped his arm that was holding my waist. But, along with the disappointment, came the stronger realization that he'd just scared the ever-living daylights out of me for no apparent reason.

Faster than I thought possible, I turned around and brought the palm of my hand across his face. I heard the sharp _smack _as I slapped him. The Prince's eyes widened considerably, as this was probably the first act of violence ever dealt to him in his life.

My small spike of anger immediately evaporated as I remembered who it was that I was with. _I just slapped the prince of Egypt! I may have just condemned Kuriboh and myself indefinitely._

I barely had enough time to register the burning look in the Prince's eyes before my back was slammed against the wall. I hit the hard stone with such force that it knocked the air out of my lungs. As I scrambled to catch my breath I looked up into his eyes, watching the fury swirl behind those molten crimson irises. I trembled. It was the same fury that my father always felt, the fury that would leave me bruised for weeks on end, the fury that had killed my brother.

He slammed his hands to either side of my shoulders, leaving me no means of escape. He wanted me to pay attention to him, and only him.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again." His voice was deep and dangerous. He spoke every word slowly, emphasizing every syllable. "Do I make myself clear?"

Still trembling, on the brink of tears, I nodded my head quickly. I hadn't been so terrified in years.

I watched the rage slowly leave his eyes, and his arms drop back down to his sides. As his anger died down, he seemed to notice the fear that was still rooted firmly in my heart and mind. He frowned, drawing his eyebrows in a mixture of curiosity and unease.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you hurt? Do you need a medic?"

Sudden shifts of behavior were not uncommon with my father either. _Oh, dear gods, why?_ I thought desperately. _Did I really chain myself to another version of my father?_

"Rhea?" the Prince asked, more urgently. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

My eyes, still wide with dread, fell to his chest. I couldn't stand to look in those eyes of his anymore.

I finally found my voice. "N-n-n-no, sir," I said. My voice sounded like a shaky, breathy whisper. "I-I-I am u-uninjured. I-I apologize. I sh-sh-shouldn't have s-s-slapped you l-like I did. P-please forgive me."

He took my chin and raised my eyes to meet his again. A fresh wave of silent panic swelled up inside me. I wanted so badly to scream.

"Don't apologize. I am the one at fault here. I let my anger get the better of me, and I took it out on you. Nothing about this is your fault."

I paused. "Wh-wh-what did you say?"

_Father never said anything like that,_ Kuriboh commented. And he was right. Even after my father calmed down and apologized, he would always find some way to blame it on me. I was always the instigator to him.

"I said nothing about this is your fault. I shouldn't have grabbed you from behind like that. You had every right to hit me. The reason I got so angry was because I'd never been hit like that before. It was a shock to me that someone would hit me knowing who I am. I swear I'm not normally a violent person." His gaze softened considerably as he spoke, "Can you forgive me?"

My heart was filled with such overwhelming relief that the tears that had threatened to come earlier were brought back to the surface. I brought my hands to my face and wept with joy. My knees buckled beneath me. I sat there, my face to my palms, my hands resting on my knees, crying.

* * *

"Rhea!"

Atem watched as the girl collapsed to her knees in tears. He got down on his knees as well, wanting so horribly to make up for what he had done.

What he'd said was true. As soon as he saw the fear in her eyes, his heart sank. Had he known how severe her reaction would be, he never would have done it. He meant what he said. Nothing about it was her fault. The blame was entirely on him, and he knew that.

As he sat there watching her sob, he began to wonder. No doubt, this type of response was due to some sort of emotional distress from her past. She must have endured a great amount of torture to immediately crumble the way she did.

_What sort of horrors were you put through?_

Still feeling the effects of remorse, Atem tenderly draped his arm over her back, gently pulling her up. Somehow knowing what he was trying to do, she let her weight fall toward him until she was crying into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her, listening to her soft hiccups.

Eventually, Rhea's tears began to slow. Atem looked down to her. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears with his palm resting on her cheek. She leaned into his hand, holding it to her face with her own.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked. "No more tears?"

Rhea sniffed once and nodded. She glanced up at the young man and smiled.

"Thank you for staying here with me," she said. "You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did," Atem argued softly. "I hurt you. My father taught me to always respect women, and I disrespected you. I had to make it right. I wouldn't be able to live myself otherwise."

Rhea's gaze fell again, her smile falling into a frown. He hated that. "Your father sounds like a good man."

Atem nodded once. "He is." The prince let his cheek rest lightly on her head and closed his eyes. She smelled faintly of lotus. It suited her.

"Umm, Prince?"

The sound of her voice snapped him back into reality. He quickly opened his eyes, let go of the girl and rose to his feet, his face burning.

* * *

"Err, you're feeling better I presume?" the Prince asked.

Hesitantly, I answered, "…Yes."

"Good. I'll meet you in the dining hall for breakfast." He started to leave, but he stopped. He turned and knelt down, whispering in my ear, "You won't tell a soul about what just happened." It wasn't a question. His warm breath in my ear gave me goosebumps on the back of my neck.

I nodded. "Understood, sir."

"Good." Without another word, he disappeared, leaving me alone, still sitting on the floor holding my hand to my face where he'd held me.

_That was weird,_ Kuriboh said.

_Perhaps…_

I stood, brushing myself off. I couldn't stop the smile that formed on my lips.

It had been years since I'd last had an anxiety attack of that caliber. Almost no one I'd ever met knew how to deal with my attacks. Most people left me to my own devices, which almost never helped. I always felt more alone, and it usually just made them worse.

But the Prince had somehow known exactly what to do. I felt so safe and comforted, like I was going to be okay for once.

Even though I knew he couldn't hear me, I whispered, "Thank you, Prince."

_Can we get breakfast now? I'm starved!_

I laughed.

_Of course, Kuriboh._

* * *

I know what you're thinking. "Wow, that was fast. Usually, she doesn't upload for a month." Well, I realized that, with all that I'm wanting to include into the story, and at the rate at which I'm uploading, I won't finish the story for YEARS if I only upload once a month. So, I'm starting out with once every 2 weeks so that I can give myself enough time to do my schoolwork as well, but still upload the chapters as needed. I've already got chapter 7 ready for the 16th.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter (I had a lot of fun writing this one). Fave and review plz.


	7. Garden

I made it to the dining hall just as the servants were serving breakfast.

"Ah, Rhea," the Pharaoh announced as I walked in the door, "there you are! We were beginning to worry about you." I glanced around the table. Apparently by "we," he'd meant everyone except the Prince, who was glaring down at his meal while everyone else stared at me. I took my seat, which apparently had officially been assigned beside the Prince without my knowledge, since it was the only seat left available.

"I apologize, Pharaoh," I said. "I just had to collect a few things." Like my composure.

"Did you get everything you needed?" asked Lady Isis.

I smiled and nodded to her. "Yes, ma'am, I did."

We dug into our meals, and the conversation quickly ensued as it had the night before.

As the servants cleaned up our now-empty dishes, the Pharaoh turned to his son.

"Don't forget, son, you still have yet to give Rhea a tour of the palace, haven't you?"

"Father, I don't think—"

"Actually, a tour of the palace would be nice." I continued to smile at the Pharaoh, feeling the Prince's harsh glare on my back. Whether it was because I'd interrupted him or because I'd just disproven his argument that I didn't want a tour, I wasn't sure. It could have been a bit of both. "It might actually help me so I don't get lost." I quietly turned to the Prince, mouthing a silent apology for interrupting him. He rolled his eyes at me in return.

"Well then, it's settled! Wonderful."

The Prince growled, but rose from his seat, gesturing to me to follow him. I stood, briefly bowed to the Pharaoh and the Guardians for their company, and quickly strode to catch up with the Prince, who was already at the dining room's main entrance.

He showed me each and every one of the rooms in the palace; and there were a lot of them. I'd never seen so many rooms in my life! I didn't know so many could fit in one building. There were kitchens, servants' quarters, studies, libraries, empty guest rooms, occupied guest rooms (we always knocked before entering those). We even passed by the throne room! And the Prince led me through all of them…

…except for one.

I spotted the small wooden door that the Prince had ignored. I paused. It was just slightly taller than I was. The wood was old, faded and chipped. It had no special markings, nor any indication as to what was behind it. It held no physical significance that would draw me to it. Nevertheless, I felt drawn to it somehow.

"What's behind here?" I asked. The Prince stopped and turned toward the door. As I glanced at his face, I thought I saw a flash of…something in his eyes, but it vanished before I could determine what it was.

"Nothing of importance," he responded, very obviously lying. "You'd be better off if you didn't go in there." He grabbed my hand and began pulling me away from the door. His grip was firm, but not rough. His palm was smooth as a newborn child's, as if he'd never worked manual labor a day in his life.

"Come," he urged. "There is still much of the palace left to see."

We finished the tour, and I soon forgot about the mysterious door.

That night, I found myself tossing and turning in my bed, unable to fall asleep. Eventually, I gave up trying. I figured a nice walk through the corridors would be enough to tire me out. I climbed out of bed, slipped on a pair of brand new silk slippers, and wrapped a thin linen robe over my nightgown. I quietly sneaked out of my room and began to wander the halls.

Guided only by the dim light of the torches mounted periodically along the walls, I was thankful for the Prince's tour today. Despite the eerie silence and the dark of night shifting my surroundings a bit, I was fairly certain I could find my way back to my room.

I was wrong.

It wasn't long before I was aimlessly wandering the halls, praying that I would somehow find my way back. I made left and right turns at random intervals, hoping that by some astronomical chance, I would stumble upon my bedroom again.

I almost passed it. Not my bedroom, unfortunately, but the mystery door from earlier that day. However, before I could pass by I seemed to sense its presence. There was really no other way to describe the sensation. I somehow knew it was there. I could feel it almost pulling me toward it. I glanced down the halls to my left and right to see if anyone was around. Once I was sure no one was around, I reached for the doorknob.

_Are you sure we should be doing this?_ Kuriboh asked, sounding unusually cautious. _What if the Prince finds us?_

I stopped. The Prince had been very protective of this door, making sure I couldn't even ask about it. No doubt, whatever was beyond that door, he didn't want anyone else to see. The only question was exactly how angry he would be with me if he discovered I had been here?

Then again, what was it that was so important that he felt he had to keep it a secret? I began to feel the pull of curiosity tug at me again. I grasped the tarnished brass doorknob, turning it as slowly and quietly as I possibly could. Ever so tenderly, I creaked the door open just enough so I could slip inside before turning and closing it behind me again.

I didn't take into account the footsteps running down the corridor toward me.

The first thing I noticed was the pale white glow along the wall, like that of moonlight. Next, I felt the crisp, cool air and the soft grass beneath my feet. I heard the rustle of leaves and the lap of water against the shore. I was confused. My senses were depicting a setting unlike anything I'd ever known in my 14 years of life here in Egypt. I turned slowly to face my surroundings, not quite sure what to expect.

What I saw was quite possibly the most beautiful scene I'd ever seen! The pale glow had indeed been moonlight from a full moon hanging in a clear, star-filled sky. I walked across the grass to the path of smooth, flat stones. The pathway led to an elegant stone garden bench under a young weeping willow tree, whose vine-like branches cascaded gently, providing a delicate shade to whoever chose to relax beneath it. The bench faced a small pond that was surrounded by small, round stones. Two light-colored fish called the pond their home.

"What are you doing here?!"

I whirled back to the door through which I had just entered. There stood the Prince, a mix of surprise and fury apparent on his face. He was still dressed in his day clothes, which led me to believe he hadn't slept either.

Having realized my mistake, I quickly fell to my knees, head ducked in an apologetic kowtow.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness," I begged. "I should never have intruded. I apologize." The grass was soft between my fingers and the stone slabs of the trail were smooth beneath my knees.

"I thought I told you not to come here," he growled as he approached me. Despite his earlier insistence at his passivity, I felt myself tense with every step he took, bracing myself for any sort of impact.

"Yes sir, you did," I said, my voice starting to grow shaky. _Oh, gods, please don't hurt me again!_ I thought as tears stung behind my eyes. "I'm begging you, please, forgive me."

At the top of my peripheral vision, I could see his fine leather sandals. After a long, tense moment, I heard him sigh.

"Stand up, Rhea. You look ridiculous." He knelt down and gently took my arm, helping me to my feet. "And please stop acting like I'm going to hurt you. You look like I've taken a whip to your back like a master to his slave."

I looked up into his blood-red eyes. His expression was incomprehensible. I felt my heart beat a little faster. A slight blush crept its way onto my face.

"I'm sorry, sir."

The Prince rolled his eyes. "For Ra's sake, stop apologizing. It's getting on my nerves."

I opened my mouth to apologize again, but caught myself. Instead, I merely nodded, asking, "I'm assuming I'm not allowed to tell anyone of this, either?"

He nodded silently, but sternly.

I glanced around the garden again. "So, what _is_ this place?"

The Prince sighed again. "Well, since you're already here, I suppose I might as well tell you. It used to by my mother's before she passed away. I come here every now and then when I need time to think or when I can't sleep."

* * *

Atem glanced down at Rhea, whose emerald eyes were sparkling with curiosity and excitement. It was clear she could appreciate this paradise as much as he did.

The reason he refused to tell anyone about this place was because it was the one room left in the entire palace that he could be alone, have time to himself; something he rarely received nowadays. Being the prince of Egypt meant constantly being surrounded by servants and watchmen. He was granted little to no privacy.

When he'd found his mother's garden three years ago, it was overgrown with weeds, and the fish were close to death. Luckily, over time, he'd managed to pry every weed from the ground and nurse the fish back to health, turning it into the picturesque scene that it was tonight.

"It's so beautiful," Rhea whispered in amazement. "Do you care for it yourself?"

Atem nodded, allowing the smallest grin of pride escape to the very corners of his lips. "I've tended to it since I found it three years ago. I even feed the fish."

The girl's eyes widened excitedly. "Show me?"

Atem laughed once before strolling off the path to the small jar of stale bread crumbs he'd snagged from the kitchens. He got down on his knees—with Rhea following close behind—and poured a small handful into his palm, tossing a few of the pieces to the pond. They hovered just below the surface of the water the fish swam up and swallowed them whole.

Rhea gasped. She stared up at him with delighted eyes. "May I?"

Atem took her hand and poured the rest of the bread crumbs into the palm of her hand. He couldn't help but notice how delicate her hands were.

The boy watched as she swept her hand over the water, distributing the remainder of the crumbs across the surface of the water. She giggled lightly as the fish darted up and down as they plucked their food from the water above.

"You know, you can get a better view from the seat by the willow."

Rhea gave Atem an incredulous look. "Are you offering for me to sit with you?" she asked.

Atem shrugged, rising to his feet. "I suppose," he replied. "Isn't that what we were doing already?" He offered a hand to help her to her feet.

"I…suppose," Rhea said hesitantly. Still she took his hand, and they walked to the shade of the willow tree and sat down. She smiled brightly as she realized that Atem had been right about the better view.

* * *

Slowly, the scaled spectacle began to die down. A light breeze blew through the garden, causing me to shiver a bit. I'd forgotten about my lack of sufficient clothing until just then. I crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to keep any more body heat from escaping when I felt a warm, heavy cloth drape over my shoulders.

"Here," the Prince said. "You look like you need it more than I do."

"But, what about you?" I asked, just now starting to notice his strong shoulders and back that his cloak had been hiding. I felt the blush return. "Won't you get cold?"

The Prince shook his head. "I've been out here almost every day for the past three years. I'm used to it by now."

I was still uncertain, but I also wasn't entirely willing to give the cloak back either. I pulled the makeshift blanket closer to me, feeling the heat from the Prince that the cloak had absorbed seep into my skin.

With the warmth and the silence, I finally began to feel the effects of fatigue weigh on my eyelids. I yawned. I started to let my head fall, but I stopped myself. A strong arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me closer. I looked up at the Prince. Staying completely stone-faced, he nodded once, letting me know it was okay. Ever so carefully, I laid my head down and closed my eyes.


	8. Distress

I hadn't meant to fall asleep. I really hadn't. It just sort of…happened.

I woke up to a lark singing its morning tune to the rising sun. I slowly opened my eyes. It was significantly warmer than it was the night before, though not too hot. The sun shone brightly in the bright blue sky, promising a carefree day, but with the shade of the willow's branches, its rays weren't attacking my eyes too harshly. I yawned, stretching my arms carefully so as not to disturb the Prince, who'd fallen asleep sometime during the night, after I did.

He still had his arm wrapped around me, and we'd somehow fallen asleep leaning up against each other. Ever so gently, I stood, carefully laying him down across the seat to where he would be comfortable. I draped the cloak he'd lent me over him as a blanket.

He looked so at peace when he was asleep, like he didn't have a trouble in the world. His stony features had softened considerably. I could only imagine a time when he looked like this when he was awake. I smiled.

I lightly crept down to my knees. Slowly, I traced my hand beneath his unusual golden bangs, softly pushing them from in front of his eyes. He was so beautiful like this: so at peace, so calm, so…content.

The Prince slowly opened his eyes, his molten red irises drowsily turning in my direction. The subtle question was impossible to miss: _What is she doing?_

My cheeks burned as I quickly stood, embarrassed beyond compare.

"I am so sorry, sir," I sputtered quickly. "I, I-I-I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable. Please forgive me if I was overstepping my boundaries."

He sat up groggily; the cloak fell from his shoulders where I'd laid it, re-revealing his strong arms and chest. My blush spread.

"What have I told you about apologizing so much?"

It wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting, but it was better than him yelling at me.

"Right, of course. My mistake."

He looked at me with one sleek eyebrow raised, the shadow of a smirk lurking at the corner of his lips. My blush deepened further.

"Oops." Apparently, _my mistake_ qualified as an apology. I decided to change the subject.

"Don't we have magic lessons again this morning?" I asked.

The Prince stood, pulling his cloak back over his shoulders. "Luckily, no," he said, "or we'd be in some serious trouble from Mahad. Fortunately, they're only every other day. This afternoon, however, we have combat training with Aknadin."

"In the heat of the day," I asked, slightly discomforted. Okay, more than slightly. "Doesn't that seem a little hazardous?"

The Prince sighed and looked around the garden. "Have you noticed that this place isn't nearly as warm as the rest of the palace?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir, I have."

"There's a spell that has been put around this garden so that the tree and the fish don't overheat. Believe it or not, Egypt isn't their natural habitat."

"I figured."

_Does he really think we're _that_ stupid? _Kuriboh griped.

_Hush,_ I scolded him. _Behave yourself._

"It's the same basic principle at the combat center. There is a dome around the arena that controls the temperature inside so that no one gets overheated."

"Oh," I replied. "That's interesting." It really was. The nobles seemed to think of everything when it came to training and schedules. I supposed it was necessary. Not everything can be done in the morning, while it was still fairly cool out. Once the heat of the afternoon started to set it, they had to find _something_ to do.

"Now, come with me," the Prince said, interrupting my thoughts. "If we don't get to breakfast soon, people will start to worry, and I don't want anyone else finding this place out."

"Right."

* * *

We were able to successfully sneak out of the garden without being seen. The Prince allowed me to go to my room to get changed into day clothes before we made our way to the dining hall.

Of course, when we entered through the large wooden doors together we received some rather incredulous stares. We even got a smile from Shimon.

"Finally getting along, I see," he noted as the Prince and I took our seats beside each other. We each exchanged a secret look from the other. We knew this question would be asked. It was to be expected, given our previous attitudes toward one another.

"Not entirely," the Prince replied. "However, with the assassin lurking around somewhere in the palace, we both agreed that it would be safest if she stayed by my side." He made sure to note under his breath, "No matter how much of a pain she may be."

I managed a grimace and slid to one corner of my seat, the corner farthest from him.

Having found out some of each other's greatest secrets without giving judgment gave us a mutual agreement; not necessarily to get along, but to understand that we each had our own lives; and therefore we respected the other's personal boundaries. It may not have been an exact friendship, but it was very near to one; as close to one as we could manage.

However, we couldn't necessarily make it known that we were getting along without much inquisition from others, and we didn't want to risk revealing anything of the other without their explicit permission. So, instead, we decided to continue carrying on as if nothing had changed between us. It wasn't exactly honest, but it was probably safest for both of us.

The Prince seemed to notice something.

"Shimon, where is my father," he asked. It was then that I noticed the empty seat at the head of the table. I suppose it should have been hard to miss, but the Pharaoh was so quiet sometimes it wasn't hard to forget he was even there.

* * *

Shimon stole a quick look to the Pharaoh's seat and shrugged. "I'm not sure, Your Majesty," he said. "We haven't seen him all morning." He noticed the look of slight concern on the boy's face. "I wouldn't worry too much, though," he added quickly. "He probably just got held up in his meeting." He forced a laugh that he hoped sounded wholehearted. His act seemed to fool the child, at least for the time being, as he turned his attention back to his meal.

If he was perfectly honest with himself, though, he was beginning to worry as well. His old friend _had_ been showing signs of fatigue lately. Something wasn't quite right. Shimon had known Aknamkanon for years, and he was almost never late to anything, not even breakfast. The pharaoh had always accredited this to being king and therefore was hoping to set an example, but Shimon knew better. The truth was that it was just the way he was. So the fact that he had yet to arrive was more than a little unsettling.

The old man ushered over one of the servants.

"What can I help you with, Master Shimon?" the young boy asked. Shimon gestured for him to step closer, and the boy obeyed.

"What is your name, young man," Shimon asked quietly.

"Rajekh, sir."

"Well, Rajekh," Shimon lowered his voice more, to nearly a whisper, "I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, sir, anything."

"I need you to go the Pharaoh's quarters and see if he is well. If he asks, tell him I was the one that sent you. He will not question you at that."

"Yes, sir." With that, the boy quickly rushed off toward his task.

* * *

I watched the young servant boy rush out of the dining hall. Master Shimon must have been more worried about the Pharaoh than he let on. I couldn't shake the bad feeling I was receiving about this whole mess. Why couldn't I help feeling like something wasn't right?

I got my answer soon enough.

It wasn't long before the boy—whose name, Master Shimon had said, was Rajekh—came running in panting with a terrified look on his face.

"Your Majesties," Rajekh sputtered between breaths. "It's horrible. The Pharaoh, he…he's collapsed! I was unable to wake him. I fear the worst!"

Everyone stood simultaneously, including me. The Pharaoh collapsing tends to be a rather important event. People have a tendency to look down on those who are not bothered by the pharaoh being sick. Not only that, but even though I've only lived here a few days, I've come to appreciate the king. He was a wise and kind man; without whom I would probably have lost Kuriboh a long time ago; without whom I probably would never have known the true level of kindness the Prince was capable of.

Everyone followed Rajekh to the Pharaoh's bedchamber, which could possibly have been one of the grandest rooms in the entire palace, if anyone had been concerned with that sort of thing at the moment.

There, lying in the middle of the floor was King Aknamkanon. His face was pale, and his body was limp. I wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious, but I knew that even the shortest amount of time could prove fatal for someone of his age. I speculated that he must be older than Karn, and even _she_ was living longer than most at merely 53.

"Father!" the Prince cried in horror beside me. He ran to his father's crumpled body. He looked as if he was close to tears; of course, his pride would never let them show. He addressed the crowd still standing at the door.

"What are you doing just standing there?" he exclaimed. "Get a medic! Hurry!"

The young servant boy, Rajekh, nodded and quickly announced, "I'll do it, sir."

"I'll go with you," I offered. I wanted to help in any way I could. I figured I could afford to leave the Prince, since he was safe with the Sacred Guardians who no doubt were far more capable than I was to defend the two royals if it came to some sort of battle.

"The medic should be just down this corridor," Rajekh said.

As he and I ran through the halls trying to find the medic, I felt the assassin's dark aura again. It felt like it was coming from the hall to my left. I stopped, turning toward the corridor in an effort to catch a glimpse of the man's face. Instead, I ran into Auset.

She looked at me curiously with her big blue eyes. "Is something wrong, milady?" she asked.

"Madam, we must hurry along."

"Go on ahead of me," I told Rajekh. "I will meet you later." I turned back to Auset as the boy continued to find the medic.

"The Pharaoh has fallen ill," I explained. "I fear the worst."

The girl gasped softly. "How awful! Our poor king!" Tears began to well up in her innocent little eyes. I gently placed my hands on her delicate shoulders and got on my knees to meet her eyes.

"Now, you listen to me," I told her gingerly. "I don't want to see you crying, do you hear me? Our Pharaoh will be just fine."

"But you said—"

"Listen to me." Auset closed her mouth. "I want you to forget what I said earlier. I was just a little frightened. I'm calm now, and I'm telling you the Pharaoh will be up on his feet in no time."

I remembered all the ways Karn used to talk to me whenever I would get hurt. I could still hear her softly stern voice telling me that everything would be okay whenever I had a nightmare. I used her as an example to help me with Auset's distress.

"Madam! I found the doctor."

I turned about to find that Rajekh had suddenly appeared behind me with a short, skinny man to his right. I stood.

"Right. Let's go."

"May I come, too, milady?" Auset asked sweetly. I smiled.

"Of course, dear." I took her hand, and the four of us rushed back to the Pharaoh's quarters.

Once we arrived, everyone was standing nervously outside King Aknamkanon's room. The medic instructed all of us to stay outside while he did his examinations. However, the Prince insisted that he be there to watch over his father. The medic tried to argue that he needed no distractions in order to properly examine the king. I motioned to the man, pulling him aside to speak with him secretly.

"Sir," I whispered. "I don't mean to sound pretentious, but you do realize you're arguing with the prince of Egypt."

"That may be so," the medic retorted. "But if he truly wants his father to get the most accurate diagnosis possible, he will let me do my job in peace."

I sighed. Then, I got an idea. "If I can assure you that he will not speak or interfere in any way, would you allow him to go inside with you."

The man grumbled, but agreed. I clapped my hands triumphantly.

"Fantastic!" I shouted, earning a few strange stares from the others.

This time, it was the Prince I pulled aside.

"Listen to me," I said. "The doctor has agreed to let you inside while he examines your father, but you must _not_ speak or interfere in any way at all. Do you understand me?"

"I don't need you to mother me, Rhea. I can take care of myself."

"I'll take that as a yes."

The Prince scoffed. I assumed his sudden reverse in behavior was associated with his concern for his father's health. At least, that was what I was blaming it on for the moment. It was the only thing that was keeping me from hitting him again. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

_Kuriboh, I want you to follow the Prince inside. Make sure he doesn't embarrass himself._

_Got it, Master._

I watched as a small, green sphere followed the Prince and the medic inside the Pharaoh's chambers. The only thing left for the rest of us to do was to wait for the doctor's diagnosis.

* * *

Almost immediately after the doors closed behind them, the medic went diligently to work examining the weakened king. Atem paced quietly around the Pharaoh's bed where the latter had been laid. Why couldn't he go faster, the boy thought impatiently.

"How long—Ouch!"

His sentence was stopped short by a sharp pain on his arm. He looked down for the source of the pain to find Kuriboh glaring up at him, as if to say "Rhea told you not to say anything!"

_He doesn't even have a visible mouth_, Atem thought. _How in the world could he have _bitten_ me?_

"Did you say something, Your Highness?" the medic asked.

"No, nothing at all," Atem replied quickly. "Please, continue."

_Damn you, Rhea_.

* * *

We waited outside those chambers for what felt like hours. Finally, the doors opened. Everyone who'd sat down immediately stood, and everyone's attention went straight to the three beings that emerged.

The doctor was the first to enter, his head down, his eyes concealed. Before anybody could get a chance to him, he disappeared down the corridor from where we'd retrieved him.

After him was Kuriboh, who looked about as sorrowful as he could get. I asked him what the news was. All he did was look up at me and shake his head. For once in his life, he was at a loss for words.

Finally, the Prince was the last to exit. His stature was similar to that of the doctor's. He closed the door behind him, still refusing to let us see his face. I was the first to approach.

"Please tell me he's all right," I pleaded softly. "Sire, tell me it's not as bad as I fear it to be."

His hand fell from the doorknob down until it was hanging by his side. His fists were clenched so tightly, I was afraid he would cause his palms to bleed. His shoulders began to quake.

"It's no use," he muttered, his voice growing as shaky as his shoulders. "My father is dying."

* * *

Oh no! The poor king! :'( *sniff sniff* How are Atem and the rest of the kingdom going to handle the Pharaoh's weakening condition? Where has Auset been all this time? How will this sudden stressor affect Atem and Rhea's relationship (cuz you know it has to XD)?  
For those of you who didn't read my OC Questionnaire on devianArt (which I recently updated), Rhea's birthday is coming up soon. And so, as a birthday gift from me to all of you, I'll be uploading chapter 9 (which is already typed up) on that date. And trust me when I say that it is chock full of drama, some serious bipolarity, and rocky obstacles. Oh, the suspense! :O

Til then, fave and comment!


	9. Collapse

_So, here it is. Rhea's (and my) birthday present to all you faithful readers! It's full of drama, tears, hurtful words, and all of that crazy stuff. Hope you enjoy. Don't forget to fave, follow, and review! Luvs y'all! :D_

* * *

It had been three weeks since the doctor had given the Pharaoh his impending death sentence, and he would only wake for minutes at a time, at best. Everyone was beginning to worry, in their own way. Master Mahad had made his classes stricter and more difficult. Lady Isis spent her time by the fire, looking for any hopeful sign—so far, she had yet to find one. Karim would lock himself in one of the many libraries for hours on end. I often found Shada pacing in front of the Pharaoh's bedchamber doors. Priest Seto's sword-fighting practice got even more aggressive. Luckily, he practiced with a wooden target instead of an actual partner, or the partner would surely have died. Master Aknadin seemed concerned, though less so than the rest of us. The Prince never left his father's side. He would sit in a chair, and just watch and wait for him to wake up. The sight was heartbreaking.

Me, I put it upon myself to take food and water to the Prince whenever he needed it, since he refused to eat or drink anything.

"Please, sire," I begged him again, holding up the tray of food. "You must eat _something_." We couldn't afford to lose both rulers, but I knew better than to mention this.

"I'm not hungry," he repeated solemnly. It barely took a single glance to see that all the light in his eyes had been snuffed out. My heart sank. He'd fallen into a deep depression that I wasn't sure he could be brought out of—at least, not any time soon.

"Sir, you haven't eaten in days. If you don't eat something soon, you'll fall ill just like your father."

"I don't care."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. My gaze fell to the ground.

"I know you love your father very much."

To my surprise, the Prince actually looked at me, but his eyes still detailed nothing but sadness. Now, that I had his attention, I knew I had to keep going, or I would lose him again.

"I know you love him, and he loves you. You have that special bond with him that only a father and a son can have—"

"Do you plan on going somewhere with this?"

"Yes, just hear me out." He closed his mouth, and let me speak. "Your father loves you, and he would never want to see you like this, starving yourself and falling into this sad darkness because of him."

I seemed to strike a nerve. He suddenly stood up, his eyes flaming.

"What makes you think you know _anything_ about my father? You know _nothing_ about him!"

I don't particularly care for being yelled at, especially when I had done nothing to deserve such treatment. It always reminds me of my father. And any time I think of my father, I tend to feel a wave of hot anger welling up inside me.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Please, enlighten me."

My hands balled up into fists. "Fine. I'll tell you. It's because your father treats you exactly opposite of how my father treated _me!_" I don't know why I put so much emphasis on the final word, but I found myself practically screaming it.

The Prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me as he hissed, "What are you talking about?"

I couldn't stand looking at his face. I glared at the balcony across the room to my right.

"What? It surprises you that the world doesn't treat everyone as well it treats you? Believe it or not, _Your Highness_, not everyone gets a satin pillow laid under their behind." I turned my glare back to him. I knew I'd struck another nerve, but for once, I didn't care what the Prince thought. "You've no idea what all you take for granted here. You waste half the food that's on your plate while the children in the streets outside are starving. You spend money like it has no meaning while people beg for even the most meager of change." I paused, a bit dramatically. I wanted him to know what all was happening right under his perfect little nose.

"You mistreat your father, the nicest man I've ever known, while…" my voice began to shake. "…while my own father would beat me senseless almost every night." Hot tears blurred my vision. "It didn't matter what the reason was, there was always _something_ that I needed punishment for. Everything that went wrong was always my fault." The tears began to spill.

"I envy you, sire. I always have. Ever since I first saw the kindness in your father's eyes at dinner that first night, I envied how blessed you were."

I stormed past him and knelt by his father's bed side. "You take this man's love for granted, and it makes me sick. If only you knew _half_ the things my father said to me, you would know how lucky you are to have someone like him. You…"

Having lost the will to speak anymore, I let my face fall to my hands, and I cried.

* * *

Atem's shoulders fell. _So that's what had caused her reaction the other day,_ he thought. _Perhaps she's right. Have I been taking my father for granted?_

He stepped closer to the weeping girl. Why did he always have to make her cry?

Now, because of what she said, he didn't have the courage to even look at his father anymore. What right did he have? All he ever did was treat him like dirt. It was only now that the Prince knew his father was dying that he even bothered to act like he cared.

He started to put his hand on her shoulder, as a sort of comforting gesture, but though better of it. She may have been crying, but they weren't tears of sadness. She was mad at him beyond belief, and she had every right to be. So, instead, he backed off and went to the balcony instead to give her some space.

* * *

Once my anger had subsided, I stood and followed him to his father's balcony.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked. Wordlessly, I strolled up to be beside him. I gazed out at the city below, squinting from the light of the sun.

"Partially," I said. He too turned his attention to the view of the city.

"You're right, though."

I paused and turned to him suddenly, caught off guard by his confession.

"Until now, I hardly ever considered my father to be worth any of my time. Now that I know that I might not ever see him again, all I want to do be by his side. It's incredibly selfish and hypocritical of me, I know. I don't deserve a man like him as a father."

I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What on earth gave you that idea? Did I give you that impression?"

He continued to gaze thoughtfully away from me. "You didn't have to. I've known it for a while, but I've just been in denial about it, but…listening about what happened between you and your father made me realize that there are people much more deserving than I am who have to suffer through their lives with people like Bato. And here I am, the best-treated man in Egypt by necessity, blessed to have a man like Aknamkanon as my father, and I treat him like a common slave.

"If anything, you should be in my place, and I should be in yours."

I was speechless. Perhaps it was just the grief talking. No. He was serious. In his mind, he had somehow considered his behavior worthy of 8 years of a daily living hell. No one could ever deserve that kind of treatment, no matter what they've done.

I reached out and lightly touched his arm.

"Even if you had tried to kill your father, I would _never_ even consider putting you in my position. The only reason I'm the way I am is because I had to grow up far too fast. You never had to do that."

"That doesn't excuse my behavior."

"That's not the point! What I'm trying to say is that I would never want you to be where I was. I would never wish such a punishment on anyone, least of all you."

"And what have I done that has you so low on your worst enemies list?"

I stumbled a bit with my words. The truth was, I really didn't know.

"Well, you've been good to me…" I ventured.

"How?" the Prince asked shortly. "How have I been good to you? Was it when I arrested you for saving my life? Was it when I grabbed you from behind and led you to believe you were being kidnapped, possibly killed? It certainly couldn't have been when I caused you to panic after you slapped me. So, please, tell me. How have I been so good to you?"

Three times, I opened my mouth to say something. Three times, I failed, instead looking like a fish out of water opening and closing my mouth without saying a word.

And then I did it; the last thing either of us were expecting.

I kissed him.

It wasn't a passionate kiss; just a soft, simple peck. But it was enough. Before he could even look at me, though, I ran off and out of the room.

Having finally memorized the maze of halls and corridors, I was able to navigate my way back to my room, not slowing down once. I quickly closed the doors behind me.

Auset was making my bed when I entered. She looked up from her work and smiled.

"Welcome back, Lady Rhea," she said pleasantly. "How is the Pharaoh doing this morning?"

When I finally stopped panting enough to speak (the palace corridors are extraordinarily long), I said, "No progress yet, I'm afraid."

Her smile immediately disappeared. "Oh, dear. I hope he gets well soon," she said, as she had every day for the past three weeks.

I brought the tips of my fingers to my lips. I could still feel the Prince's soft lips on mine.

"I'm…I'm going for a walk," I said dazedly. Auset nodded, and I left my bedroom again.

It didn't take me long to find the hidden garden. It was like a second home to me now. I opened the old wood door and slipped inside.

I paced back and forth in front of the stone bench for a while, asking myself questions I knew I couldn't answer. Why hadn't I answered his question? Why did I kiss him? Why did I run away? What was his response?

But the question that was bothering me most was: Why did I kiss him while his father was lying sick in his bed just a few cubits away?

I don't know how long I was there, pacing back and forth like a blind lizard. Apparently, though, it was a while, because the next thing I knew, it was sunset. Not that I was aware of that, of course. The only reason I broke from my pacing spell was because the garden's only door was being opened. I looked up and watched the Prince enter quickly. He looked back at me, his expression unreadable.

"I figured I'd find you here," he said. My eyes fell to the fish in the pond. I still couldn't look at him. Whether it was because of embarrassment or guilt, I had yet to figure out.

"How exactly did you come to that conclusion," I asked. I heard his footsteps in the soft grass.

"It's quiet, it's peaceful; and unlike the rest of the palace, there isn't someone breathing down your neck everywhere you go." Ironically enough, he was close enough behind me that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. The feelings it was giving me were making me uncomfortable, so I stepped around him, still avoiding his gaze, and sauntered beneath the willow. I took one of the vine-y branches and twirled it loosely around my finger, watching it dance around my finger.

"So I see you finally left your father's room," I said, changing the subject, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Did you come looking for me for a reason?"

"Actually I did," he replied softly. He took a step closer. Instinctually, I tensed. The willow's thin tendril ceased its dizzying dance. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted toward you earlier today."

"It was fairly understandable," I said, still keeping my back to him. "Your concern for your father—as well as the fact that you haven't slept in days—were bound to make themselves known eventually. I just happened to be the one to bear the brunt of your agitation."

The Prince sighed. "You've had to bear that brunt far too many times, in my opinion."

"Is that so?" I spat, angrily. The branch in my hand snapped, as did my nerves. "If that is the case why don't you try and change that?" I whirled around to face him. If I was going to get caught up in another argument, I didn't want to have my back to him. I was no coward.

But, when I looked into his eyes, I didn't see any anger or frustration at the provocation of a fight, not a hint of it. His red eyes had dulled into a tired grief that I hadn't seen before. I was caught off guard; this wasn't his usual response. Why wasn't he losing his temper?

The answer to that was easy. He didn't have any temper left to lose.

"Please," he murmured. "I'm tired of fighting with you."

I lowered my head to my chest guiltily. "I'm sorry. I suppose you're not the only one who's been affected by your father's illness."

I felt his hand go beneath my chin, lifting my gaze back up to his. "Stop looking away from me. It only makes me feel worse."

My resentment bubbled up in my chest again. I roughly pushed his hand away. "Why is it always about what you want?" I hissed, stomping farther away from him. He didn't answer. "You're not the only one who wants things, you know."

He lightly touched my arm. "Then what is it that you want, Rhea?"

I felt my shoulders relax. _Gods, why couldn't I stay angry with him?!_

"Tell me, please. Anything you want, I'll get it for you. I want to make it up to you. Please."

That was when I realized: _It's not _what_ I want…_

…_It's who._

But I couldn't say anything. Not to him. Instead, I bolted from the garden, slamming the door behind me.

As I turned a corner, I ran into Master Mahad (quite literally, but he wasn't aware of that at the time). We both stumbled a bit, but were able to reclaim our balance.

Once we'd regained our balance, Mahad said, "Rhea, good, I've been looking for you."

_Why is everyone looking for you all of a sudden?_ Kuriboh asked.

_I have no idea._

"Why were you looking for me, sir?" I asked.

"The Pharaoh has awakened," Mahad said. "And he's requested to speak with you."


	10. Misunderstanding

I lightly tapped on the Pharaoh's bedchamber door.

"Come in, Rhea," a hoarse, but familiar voice said. I tenderly opened the door to enter, as if any sudden movement would launch the man back into his previous unconscious state.

"You…called for me, sire?"

The king nodded. I was rather surprised to see him sitting upright in his bed. "Yes, dear. Please, close the door behind you. I must speak with you in private."

I closed the door. The Pharaoh held his hand out toward the chair beside his bed.

"Please sit."

I sat. Nervously, I began to wonder why I'd been summoned. Why did the Pharaoh want to speak with me privately? What did he have to say that only I could hear?

As if he was reading my mind, the Pharaoh began, "You must be wondering why I called you in here, why I asked that we speak in such a secluded manner."

"Err, yes, sir."

He didn't answer right away. When he finally did speak, I was surprised by what he said.

"I heard your argument with my son earlier. I apologize for your misfortune. It seems I've misjudged your father for a great many years."

_Everyone did,_ I thought. That was how he'd gotten away with it for so long.

I managed a small, sad smile. "Thank you, sire."

"But…that is not the only thing I wish to speak to you about," he continued. "I want to talk to you…about my son."

"Your…son, sir?" Just the thought of him made my face flush a bit. "What, what about him?"

"I'm well aware that his behavior as of late has not been what it should be," he said. "I promise you, he was not always like this. As a boy, he was incredibly gentle and kind. However, over the years, he has become steadily more distant. Nowadays, he spends most of his time alone. No one knows where he goes when he disappears."

I did.

"We start to worry about him," the king continued. "I start to worry about him."

I remembered the desperate look on the Prince's face at the idea of his father's life being at risk, how terrified he was at the thought of the Pharaoh being hurt. I smiled softly.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Your Highness," I told him. "I'm sure that boy is still in him somewhere."

"Of that, I'm absolutely sure," the king replied. This surprised me.

"Then, what are you so worried about, may I ask?"

"I know the gentle boy he used to be is still buried somewhere deep in his heart. All that's needed is a kind soul who could coax him out." He gazed up at me, his deep grey eyes filled with a tired sadness. "What I'm afraid of, is that the soul will be driven away before that part of him has resurfaced."

It took me a few moments to fully understand what he was saying. "M…M-m-me?" I asked, placing a hand to my chest as a sort of nonverbal confirmation. "Am I the 'kind soul'?"

The old royal nodded. "I believe he feels attracted to you somehow," he said matter-of-factly.

My cheeks heated up again. "A-attracted? Wh-what do you mean?"

"Perhaps attracted isn't the right word. I believe he feels…_connected_ to you."

"How so?" I asked.

"It's because," the Pharaoh answered. "You remind him of his mother."

"His mother?"

"Yes. She was brought into noble status as you were. She was from the Farming District, hired by my father, the previous Pharaoh, in order to tend the palace gardens. Her touch was like magic to the plants. Watching her treat each papyrus reed as if it was a pet or a child was fascinating.

You have the same look in your eyes as she did: thoughtful, caring, loving. I was never much of a disciplinarian. But, she would always know what to do and say whenever he would misbehave. She was strict, but gentle." He laughed to himself. "She would always say how much he acted like me when we were younger."

"What...happened to her?" I asked cautiously. "Unless I've crossed a line…"

The king's smile faded. "She died of malaria a little more than ten years ago. My son was devastated. He wouldn't eat for days. He would just sit by his mother's bedside until the priests took her away to begin her burial."

_So this isn't the first time he's had to deal with the grief of losing a parent,_ I thought. _It's no wonder he was having such a hard time. He was only reacting the way he did ten years ago._

"It wasn't long after his mother's death that his behavior began to change. It was hardly noticeable at first. But, over time, his behavior has gotten steadily worse. I don't think his heart ever truly healed from the tragedy. He became bitter and angry toward all those around him, including those who were once his friends.

"However, when you walked into the dining hall that first day, I saw the look in his eyes change. For a mere second, I thought I could see the boy he once was. I must admit that the position of personal guardian was merely a rouse, an official excuse to keep you close to him. I hoped you would be the one to turn him around, to fill in the hole that has kept his heart fractured for so long."

I was touched. To think that the Pharaoh was comparing me to the late Queen, it was an honor I never thought I'd be worthy to receive. To know that the Pharaoh trusted me with his son as much as he did—more so than I'd originally thought—was flattering.

"I'm truly grateful that you feel so strongly, my Pharaoh," I said. "But, are you sure that I am the one who can accomplish the task you are implying?"

The Pharaoh smiled. "Look over there, Rhea," he said, pointing to the wall opposite him. "You see that gold circle hanging on the wall?"

"Yes, sir," I said.

"Bring it here."

I stood, crossing to the wall, and taking down the object in question. I returned to my chair, holding it carefully in my hands. There wasn't much to it. Just a simple gold-leafed, bronze ring about as big around as my head.

"This was my wife's headband. She bought it in the Market District, having saved up the money for it. She'd had her eye on it for years before she'd made enough to purchase it and make it hers. It was the only thing from her former life as a farm girl that she'd kept once we were married. She simply could not part with it, until she was on her deathbed.

"She gave it to me on her last day, and told me—made me promise—not to get rid of it, not to give it away until I was absolutely certain the receiver was trustworthy enough to have it."

I looked up at him, startled. I very nearly dropped the band; my hands had momentarily gone numb from shock. However, I was able to catch it before it hit the ground.

"Sire…" I choked. "Are you saying…?"

"I want you to have it, Rhea."

"Are, are you sure?"

"I've never been surer of anything in my life, my dear," he said. "Come here. Let me help you put it on."

I rose, my knees trembling, and stepped toward the dying man. He gently placed the headband over my head, pulling my hair up over it to where it only showed as a gold strip across my forehead. I turned back around so he could see it, and his smile widened. He had tears in his eyes.

"You look beautiful," He whispered. I allowed myself to wrap my arms around his neck in a loving hug.

"Thank you, sire," I said, letting go of him. "I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," he replied warmly. "That is why I've entrusted you with two of my wife's most precious possessions. I know you'll care for them as devotedly as she did."

All of a sudden, the Pharaoh was launched into a frenzied coughing fit. He was wheezing and heaving, and I felt utterly helpless to ease his pain. It lasted several minutes before he was finally able to regain his breath. As he panted, retrieving precious air into his lungs, he sank back down from his sitting position until he was lying on his back with his head on his pillow.

"It seems I will not inhabit this world for much longer," he rasped. "Look after my son for me. Tell him I love him, and that I know he'll be a great pharaoh. Tell him I'm incredibly proud of my son…"

Those were his last words.

My heart sank into my stomach. I felt tears well up in my eyes as my throat closed. He was gone, gone forever. And I was the last person he talked to. I fell to my knees and cried at his bedside for the second time today.

A few minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I summoned the courage to dry my tears as best I could. I had to be dignified when I announced that the king had passed. The door creaked open as I rose to my feet.

"Come in," I called, my voice still a little shaky.

"It's me," the Prince said quietly. "I was looking for you, and Mahad told me I could find you here. What did my father want to…?"

It was at this time that he noticed his father's unmoving body.

"Fa…Father?" His voice sounded so small and scared, like he was a little boy again, losing his mother. My eyes dampened once more. Slowly, I turned in his direction, bowing to my knees in respect for the new king.

"Congratulations sire," I said, keeping my eyes focused on his feet as I spoke. "You are the new Pharaoh."

He didn't speak for a while. I was afraid he'd fainted or left. I glanced up at him. He was frozen, with a mix of horror and despair painted across his face.

When he finally found his voice, I heard him whisper, "No. No." His voice grew louder. "No no no!" He ran to his father's side. "Father! Please, speak to me. Say something. Anything!"

I couldn't take it, seeing him like this. The tears and grief I had forced down returned to the surface and spilled down my cheeks in salty streams.

"I'm so sorry sir. But, he's gone. He's been dead for almost ten minutes"

"No. He can't be gone." The boy turned to face me, ready to fight me tooth and nail that his denial was the truth. "He can't be…" He paused, his face changing as he noticed me.

"What is that on your head?" he asked quietly, his tone suddenly darkening. Instinctively, I brought my hand to my forehead. I felt the touch of the gold headband. I realized how bad it must look from his side. My muscles suddenly tensed at the apparent threat of the new Pharaoh's wrath.

"I know what this must look like," I began.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, practically growling. His expression was dangerous. He took a step toward me.

"I promise you, sire, I did nothing—" I took a step back.

"Did my father say you could have that?" He took a couple more steps forward.

"Uhh, well actually, he—" I continued backing away.

"My father hasn't been dead ten minutes, and you're already going through his personal belongings?" He raised his voice at me. I could tell that no argument I had was going to make a difference.

"Sir, you don't understand—" My voice began to grow panicky. I could tell where this was going, and I didn't like it.

"You little thief! You have no right to go digging through my father's things as if they were yours!" He was still coming toward me. He was now within arm's reach.

"I'm sorry, sir! Please, just let me explain—"

He roughly seized my upper arm in his iron grip. His crimson eyes swirled with rage.

"My father allowed you to stay here, eat our food, and live in luxury."

I tried pulling my arm from his grip. It only tightened. Tears of fear welled up in my eyes and terror struck my heart.

"Please," I pleaded. "You're hurting me."

He kept his lecture as if I hadn't "He gave you the opportunity of a lifetime, and _this_ is how you repay him? By taking his possessions after he dies? What else have you taken?"

"Nothing. I swear."

"Liar! That can't have been the only thing—"

"JUST TAKE IT!" I screamed, my knees buckling beneath me. My heart had shot up to my throat; tears streaming down my face. "Just _take it!_ I don't want it. I didn't want it in the first place! Your father _gave_ it to me, but I don't want it." My voice lowered to a breathy whisper. "Please. Just take it."

His vise-like grip on my arm loosened, and he eventually he let go of me. I ripped the band off my head and shoved it at him before bringing to my hands to my face, weeping into my palms.

"Go."

I looked back up at him in confusion. He wasn't looking at me, but he _was_ addressing me. Of that I was sure.

"Get out. Leave. I don't want you coming back here. Just get your things and get out."

I needed no further insistence. I stood up and, with as much dignity I had left (which wasn't very much)—I turned around and left the room. I made sure to round the corner before running off with my face in my hands once more.

* * *

Atem watched Rhea leave, turning his mother's headband over and over in his hands. What right did she think she had to take his mother's things? She couldn't possibly have any idea the level of significance it held. And to think, she thought she could actually get away with claiming that his father had given it to her! His father was more protective of this headband than Atem was, and that was saying something. He would never part with it so recklessly. What could she have been thinking, trying to use such a pathetic excuse? Surely, she would have realized that such an attempt would fail at least as miserably as it did.

And yet, part of him wanted to believe her. His father _had_ started taking a liking to her recently. It wasn't hard to trust her. And, as far as he could tell, she'd never lied to him before now.

Of course, he supposed that was the trickiest parts about crooks like her. You could never tell what their plan was until it had been carried out.

But why the headband? There were plenty of things all around the room that were worth much more fiscally than this old thing, he thought. Why head straight for one of the least valuable things in the room?

She couldn't possibly be telling the truth…but what if she hadn't exactly been lying either?

* * *

_THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thanks so much to all of you who posted your ideas. They were a HUGE help. I hope you liked this chapter. I've got much better ones coming up really soon. There's lots and lots of drama in these next couple of chapters. Will Atem learn that his assumption was wrong, that she isn't a thief? If so, will Rhea be able to forgive him enough to come back? Find this out next week. Till then, fave and review, plz. Luvs all y'all! :D_


	11. Apology

_The Pharaoh smiled. "Look over there, Rhea," he said, pointing to the wall opposite him. "You see that gold circle hanging on the wall?"_

"_Yes sir."_

"_Bring it here."_

_The girl stood, crossing to the wall, and taking down the object in question. She returned to her chair, holding it carefully in her hands. There wasn't much to it. Just a simple gold-leafed, bronze ring about as big around as her head._

"_This was my wife's headband. She bought it in the Market District, having saved up the money for it. She'd had her eye on it for years before she'd made enough to purchase it and make it hers. It was the only thing from her former life as a farm girl that she'd kept once we were married. She simply could not part with it, until she was on her deathbed._

"_She gave it to me on her last day, and told me—made me promise—not to get rid of it, not to give it away until I was absolutely certain the receiver was trustworthy enough to have it."_

_Rhea looked up at the Pharaoh, startled. She very nearly dropped the band, but was able to catch it before it hit the ground._

"_Sire…" she choked. "Are you saying…?"_

"_I want you to have it, Rhea."_

"_Are, are you sure?"_

"_I've never been surer of anything in my life, my dear," he said. "Come here. Let me help you put it on."_

_She rose to her feet, and stepped toward the dying man. He gently placed the headband over her head, pulling her hair up over it to where it only showed as a gold strip across her forehead. She turned back around so he could see it, and his smile widened. He had tears in his eyes._

"_You look beautiful," He whispered .The girl wrapped her arms around his neck in a loving hug._

"_Thank you, sire," she said, letting go of him. "I promise I won't let you down."_

"_I know you won't," he replied warmly. "That is why I've entrusted you with two of my wife's most precious possessions. I know you'll care for them as devotedly as she did."_

_All of a sudden, the Pharaoh was launched into a frenzied coughing fit. It lasted several minutes before he was finally able to regain his breath. As he panted, retrieving precious air into his lungs, he sank back down from his sitting position until he was lying on his back with his head on his pillow._

"_It seems I will not inhabit this world for much longer," he rasped. "Look after my son for me. Tell him I love him, and that I know he'll be a great pharaoh. Tell him I'm incredibly proud of my son…"_

_Those were his last words._

* * *

_As the scene faded away, Atem heard a deep, familiar voice echoing in his ears._

"_My son," it said. "In your grief and anger at my death, you have cruelly misjudged this young woman. You let your emotions cloud your judgment and it has cost you dearly."_

_Atem stood there in his dream world, unmoving as the image of his heinous mistake the day before was displayed before his eyes. He couldn't even recognize himself. He'd turned into a monster, and it was evident from the terror in Rhea's eyes that she could see it too._

_Rhea. She'd confessed to him about her father, and all the terrible things he'd done, and what had he done? He'd become the same heartless bastard that Bato was. It was no wonder she'd broken down. It wasn't out of guilt as Atem had previously thought, but of repressed fear brought back to the surface by the horrifying memories of her childhood._

"_I can't watch this anymore," Atem said, turning his head away. "Take it away. I don't want to see this anymore."_

_His father hesitated, but complied. It seemed Atem had learned his lesson._

"_You see now that you have done wrong," the late king said._

"…_Yes."_

"_You know what must be done in order to set things right."_

"…_I do."_

"_Good. Now go. Do what must be done."_

"_But Father—"_

"_Atem, my time has come and passed. I was ready to die. You must accept this, and live your life."_

_At these words, Atem was thrown from his dream back into reality._

* * *

Atem knocked on the door of the dilapidated inn. He had a cloak wrapped around him with the hood pulled up. He didn't want anyone to recognize him, so he'd disguised himself as a palace servant. He'd successfully snuck out of the palace without catching anyone's attention, and had been looking all over the Market District for Rhea, with no success.

His search had ended up going on well into the night, and he was exhausted. He'd overheard some of the citizens talking about an inn, and had figured he could rest there for the night before continuing his search in the morning.

A middle-aged woman with broad features answered the door. She looked down at the young man carefully.

Keeping his hood over his eyes, Atem said, "Excuse me madam. Would you mind if I stayed here for the night?"

"Of course," the woman replied, smiling. "We always welcome weary travelers." Atem nodded once as a sort of silent thanks and was led inside.

The interior of the inn wasn't quite as rundown as he'd expected. Sure, it wasn't in the condition that the palace was, but—having spent all day familiarizing himself with the Market District—it was fairly well-maintained. The wooden tables and chairs were old, but still sturdy. Any previous cracks that had emerged in the foundation were sealed with an incredibly effective sealant. There were no rats or other pests that would betray a lack of sanitation. All in all, it was an impressive establishment. In fact, it was rather cozy. Atem voiced his opinion to the woman, who appeared to be the head landlady. The woman thanked him for the compliment, proclaiming that it had always been her life's passion to take care of others.

"And how are you supposed to help others with their troubles," the woman explained, "if you can't even deal with your own?"

"You can't," Atem muttered, the irony of her words not escaping him.

"Exactly," the woman agreed, apparently oblivious to her new guest's defeated demeanor. Not all that surprising since she had her back to him.

"So," she went on, taking a rag from her waistband and wiping down a table for him. "What's a fine young gentleman like yourself doing all the way out here in the boondocks?"

"I'm…looking for someone," Atem replied. "Someone I care for very deeply." It was only when he'd spoken did he realize the trueness of his words.

"A girl?" the landlady asked inquisitively.

Atem nodded, sitting down at the table. "Yes," he said. "A girl."

The woman smiled, winking. "Well, I hope you find her."

As the woman walked away, Atem whispered, "So do I."

The woman returned with a glass of water. "We've got a room all set up and ready for you," she said. "Would you like a meal before you go to your room?"

Atem started to say no, but remembered that he'd had nothing to eat all day long. He'd been so concerned with finding Rhea and apologizing that he'd forgotten to eat. It was only now, as his stress and fatigue began catching up with him, that he realized how hungry he was.

"Yes, please," he said, staring at the table. The landlady turned her head to shout toward the kitchen.

"Hey," she yelled. "Have Ferod cook up one last bowl of stew for our newest guest, would ya, Rhea?"

Atem's head shot up. _Rhea? She's here?_

Suddenly, he wasn't feeling well. At least, not well enough to see her. He couldn't face her. Not after what he'd done.

"I must be going," he said quickly, rising to his feet. "I can't stay here."

The woman looked disappointed. "Going so soon? It's not often we have such an interesting guest around these parts."

"I'm sorry," Atem apologized, heading for the door. "But I have to—"

"Excuse me," a soft, familiar voice said behind him. "But, could you show me your face, please?"

Atem had nearly had his hand on the door knob to leave, but couldn't bring himself to open the door.

"I…I can't stay here," he said, disguising his voice as best he could. "I have to leave immediately."

He listened nervously as he heard her light footsteps approach him.

"Please," she pleaded quietly. "Show me your face."

"I…can't."

She stepped closer, close enough for him to be able to whisper, "Sire? Is that you?"

Having already been discovered, Atem figured there was no need to keep his hood up. He turned slowly, pulling down the hood of his cloak as he did so. Once his face was revealed, he heard a gasp escape from the landlady's lips. Rhea, however, was not nearly as surprised. In fact, she seemed to have a sad sort of confirmation in her eyes.

"You!" the landlady shrieked, charging toward him with a near-murderous glint in her eyes. "I don't care if you _are_ the Prince of Egypt. You have no place in my inn." She roughly grabbed his arm, jerking him around to face her so she could be sure he was listening as she spat, "Everyone here thought she had been executed the day you arrested her. Then, she comes home crying, saying that you accused her of being a thief." The woman threw the door open, ready to toss him out into the street. "_No one_ treats Rhea so horribly. Not if I have anything to say about it. Anyone who _does_, can sleep in the—"

"Karn, wait!"

The woman, Karn—who had been preparing to throw Atem out of her inn, quite literally—stopped. Atem, who'd expected something similar to Karn's reaction and had braced himself, glanced up incredulously at Rhea.

She seemed tense, but had an indignant air about her. She spoke softly, but with conviction. "You said that you always welcome weary travelers did you not?"

Karn looked about as confused as Atem felt. "…Yes," she answered uncertainly.

Rhea then turned to Atem. "You," she said, not addressing him by name. Atem couldn't help but wonder why. "You are weary from your travels, are you not?"

Suddenly understanding, Atem nodded.

Karn seemed to catch on as well, since she exclaimed, "Rhea, you can't be serious!"

"I am perfectly serious, Karn," she scolded, raising her voice, "and you should be, too. Just because I have a prior history with this man does _not_ mean he deserves treatment any different from the other guests. You of all people should know that."

Atem had never seen this side of her before; and judging from the look on Karn's face, neither had she. Nevertheless, she let go of Atem's arm, staring at the ground in defeat.

"Now, you said that you had prepared a room for him," Rhea continued, sternly. "Which one was it?"

"Up the stairs, first door on the left," Karn grumbled. She leaned down, and whispered in Atem's ear, "You're lucky. She's far more forgiving than I would have been at her age. You don't deserve what all she does for you."

Atem didn't look up at her. "I know," he said.

"Come," Rhea said, taking Atem's hand. The familiar jolt of energy he felt was both pleasing and heartbreaking. "I'll show you to your room."

She led him up the stairs, and into the room, closing the door behind her. As she did so, Atem began to notice that she'd changed out of her clothes from the palace and was back in her rags. He really couldn't blame her. They must have held many painful memories. However, the dirty commoners' clothes looked rather strange on her still glowing skin and radiant-looking hair.

_Even in rags,_ he thought. _She's still as beautiful as ever._

He couldn't focus on her appearance for long, since she turned her attention back to him, her expression one of firm conviction.

"Alright," she said severely. "Talk. You obviously came here for a reason. And judging by the way you're dressed…" She gestured to his current wardrobe. "…it looks like you didn't come here on any official royal business." Her tone lessened slightly as she finished, "You snuck out to look for me, didn't you?"

Atem nodded sadly. "I did," he replied. He strolled toward the window to his left, looking out at the moonlight hidden behind the clouds. "I…How did you figure all of that out?"

Rhea crossed her arms over her chest. "Believe it or not, I'm smarter than I look." Atem flinched, having had his own words thrown back at him. "Now, tell me why you came here."

Atem turned back to her. "I came here to apologize. I was wrong to accuse you of stealing. I realize that now. I had no right to indict you so harshly. I told you I wasn't a violent person, and then I pulled a stunt like that. I sucked you back into a world you thought you'd escaped from when your father died.

"I know my words don't excuse my actions. But if you'll just give me a chance, I can show you—"

"Show me what?" Rhea demanded. "How hard you can hit now that you've had some practice?"

Atem was stunned. "I wasn't going to say that," he said.

But Rhea wouldn't hear of it. "I've had enough of this, sire. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder, keeping my guard up wondering whether or not you're in a violent mood today.

"I don't regret saving your life that day," she said, "but I'm starting to regret accepting your father's offer to protect you." She turned her back to him, and took a step toward the door.

"Please," Atem begged. "I've already lost two people I care about. Don't make me lose a third."

Rhea paused, but only for a moment. She took another step toward the door, placing one hand on the handle. "You may stay for the night, but I suggest you leave in the morning."

Before she could leave, however, Atem reached out and grabbed her hand. "Rhea," he pleaded, his voice beginning to shake. "Don't leave. I…" He had to push the words out. It wasn't that he didn't mean it. It was because he'd never felt so strongly about someone that it led him to these words. But now, it was the only way he could describe how he was feeling.

"I love you."

Rhea's grip on the door handle tightened and began to shake, as did her shoulders. "If you really love me," she said, her soft voice cracking. Atem couldn't help but notice the single tear that slid down her cheek.

"If you really love me…then you'll let me go."

It was the last thing Atem had wanted to hear, but it was to be expected. Atem closed his eyes and let go of her hand. He couldn't watch her leave, but he did hear the slam of the door as she ran out of the room.

* * *

Hey guys! I know, quick update, but hey! It _is_ technically next week. :P Lol Anyway, still more chapters to come. Much more drama ensues.

Can Rhea learn to forgive Atem? Will she return his feelings? All this, and more, next week. Fave and review plz! :D


	12. Return

The next morning was gray and cloudy, much like my mood. I'd ended up crying myself to sleep. _He…He told me he loved me,_ I thought. What could that possibly mean? Did he even know what that meant? Did I?

I dressed and made my way downstairs, having fallen asleep in one of the empty rooms. Down in the main sitting room, Karn was counting gold coins. I asked her where she'd found them.

"Your friend gave them to us," she said, somewhat miserably, "as payment for his room and board."

"He's not my friend," I told her. Then I added, "That's far more than was needed. He didn't even eat before he went to bed, did he?"

Karn shook her head, still frowning despondently.

"When did he leave?" I asked.

"Last night," Karn replied. "After you left the room, he came downstairs, paid all of this, and left."

"He left…without saying goodbye?"

"What could he say, Rhea? You basically told him to go away after he told you he loved you."

"You were listening?!" I exclaimed, mortified.

"I wasn't going to allow you to be attacked in my own establishment," she said defiantly.

"He wasn't going to attack me," I said.

"From what you described, I couldn't be too careful."

I thought back to the desperate, pleading look in his eyes. He'd let every guard down, showed me his most vulnerable side, and I had cast him aside like an old rag.

No, I couldn't fall for it again. I wasn't going to go crawling back to him, asking him to forgive me for breaking his heart, if he had one.

Karn seemed to know what I was thinking, since she added, "You know, you can't keep pretending you don't feel the same way about him that he does for you, Rhea."

"What are you talking about?" I asked rather bitterly.

"When you came home, as happy as I was to know that you were okay, I saw that you weren't as content as you were before. Your mind kept drifting. Don't think I didn't notice. I know a woman in love when I see one."

I scoffed, "Please. Me, in love with that pompous, vain, self-centered…?" I couldn't even finish my sentence I was so disgusted. "Never in a thousand years would I love someone like _him_."

Karn loaded the coins into the cash box. "Do you know why I keep counting these, Rhea?" she asked.

I sighed, "Why?"

"I just couldn't understand why such a 'pompous, vain, self-centered…'" I blushed. "…Well, you get the idea. I couldn't understand why someone as heinous as you claim him to be would offer such generous payment for a room he didn't even use. Then it occurred to me. He's letting go."

If she'd intended to pull my heartstrings, it worked.

"What…" I had to swallow the lump that regrew in my throat before I could get the full sentence out. "What do you mean?"

"Oh," she said innocently. "I suppose I should tell you that the payment was supposed to be anonymous. In fact, now that I think about it, I believe he specifically asked me not to tell you. Whoops! Must have slipped my mind."

I left her sitting there scratching the back of her head sheepishly as I bolted out the door.

Atem sat in the throne room, going over his coronation ceremony that was coming up within the next 10 days with Mana and Shimon. Shimon was the one rattling off the itinerary while Mana was just there for company and support.

But, of course, Atem wasn't taking a word of what Shimon was saying. His mind kept going back to Rhea. He wondered if he should have stayed a little longer, at least to tell her goodbye.

_No,_ he thought. _I had to let her go. It's what she wanted. She told me so herself. I can't go back on it now._ _It doesn't matter what I want. I just want her to be happy. Even if that means I have to stay away._

But even as he sat there, telling himself that he'd done the right thing, it didn't make him feel any better. He knew that he'd never feel the same way about anyone the way he'd felt about Rhea. Her smile, her laugh, everything about her had this unexplainable effect on him. At first, he'd feared the feelings he received whenever he was around her, wanting nothing more than to avoid her at all costs, to avoid the reactions he felt.

But as he spent more time with her, got to know her, the more he came to welcome those feelings, welcome her. Without her—even though she'd been in his life for a short time—it was like there was something missing, something important. He wasn't truly happy without her. And he knew now that he never would be.

It was just as Shimon was in the middle of explaining the guest list in excruciating detail when Isis entered with an announcement. "My Pharaoh," she said. "You have a visitor."

"Tell them not to come," Atem replied. "I don't want to see anyone today."

But Isis wouldn't let it go. "Sire, I really think you should see this person—"

"I told you, I'm not seeing anyone today." Atem stood up to leave, so she couldn't argue further. He turned toward the door behind the throne.

"Your Highness…?"

He stopped. It couldn't be. He slowly turned around to see Rhea, cloaked in her noble dress, standing there stiffly, nervously twiddling her fingers. Yet, through all her tension, he could still see the shy smile lightly brushed across her lips. It took everything he had not to run up to her right then and beg for her forgiveness.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, sir," she said. Atem smiled.

"What have I told you about apologizing so much?" he joked lightly. She laughed. It felt good to hear her laugh.

He glanced around at the other three in the room, and politely dismissed them. They agreed, and left.

As soon as they were gone, Atem walked swiftly toward her. As soon as he was about 50 cubits away, she ran toward him, tackling him in a hug that almost knocked him off his feet.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she cried into his chest. He comfortingly wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't be," he whispered gently, stroking her hair. "You had every right to be angry with me."

"It's not just that," she sniffed. "I…I never got a chance to tell you."

Atem looked at her confused. "Tell me what?"

She pulled away from him, not in a harsh way, just letting him know that she needed her space to convey the message effectively.

"When you told me that…that you loved me, I thought it was just a ruse, like how my father would always say he loved me. But, whenever I tried to run away from my father whenever he said it, he wouldn't take no for an answer. In fact, he would get insulted, and it would just be one more thing I needed to be punished for, not reciprocating my father's love.

"So, when I found out you'd left that night I was surprised. Then, I'd seen that you'd paid the equivalent of about 3 months' worth of room and board, I started to turn bitter. I thought you'd come back and use it against me that you'd made such a generous donation, and you could always take it back, plus interest, for having insulted the king."

"You really don't think much of me, do you?" Atem said, only half joking.

"I've learned that people are guilty until proven innocent," she explained, her back facing him. "It's saved me from a lot of heartbreak." She turned back toward him, her emerald eyes shaking. "But it didn't save me from you."

Now Atem was really confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"When I said for you to let me go, part of me wanted you to hold on. To not let go no matter what. I wanted to be right, more than I'd ever wanted to be right about anyone before in my life."

"But…why?"

Rhea's shoulders and voice began to tremble. "So that it wouldn't hurt so much when you left." By this time, they'd somehow stepped closer together. Now, they were mere centimeters apart.

There was still something Atem was missing, he just couldn't figure out what it was. "What are you saying, Rhea? What are you trying to tell me?"

"What I'm trying to say is that…I love you too."

Tears were filling up in the girl's eyes once again. Atem lifted his hand to stroke a tear away with his thumb as it fell down her cheek. She smiled up at him. He smiled back.

Then, having found that there were no more words to be spoken, he leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

I couldn't believe this. My heart was racing. I could hear it pounding like a drum in my ears. Was this for real? I wrapped my arms around his neck. Had Fate really paired me with the prince—now the pharaoh—of Egypt? Was this a dream?

No. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something like this, something so detailed. The warmth that radiated into my skin, feel of his lips against mine, the sound of our breathing, the taste of his sweet breath…It was all too real.

And yet, it all felt too good to be true.

I pulled away, frightened of my realization.

"Rhea, what's wrong?" the Pharaoh asked.

I was never this lucky. Why would a member of the royal family of Egypt ever be attracted to me? How could I be loved by someone like him? There had to be some flaw, something that would make this moment more realistic.

Then I thought back to his temper. Of course. Of _course_, I would fall for a man like that. It's who I was, who I am. I turned, and started to run back toward the door. I couldn't condemn myself to spend the rest of my life with another version of my father.

I felt someone lightly take my hand. I didn't have to turn around to look. I already knew to whom the hand belonged.

"Rhea," the new Pharaoh pled softly. "Please. Stay."

"I…can't."

He stepped closer. I couldn't look at his face. I knew that if I did, I would feel compelled to stay.

"Rhea," he repeated. "Don't go. You're the only thing keeping me sane anymore. With you gone, it feels like there's something missing in my life. I can't live without you."

I could still feel the tingle on my lips. His breath on my neck gave me chills. My heart and mind were fighting for me to stay, but my body was too afraid of being hurt again.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "But you're just going to have to learn to try."

I started to leave again.

"Rhea, wait!"

I stopped, building up the courage to look at him. His molten eyes were desperately pleading for me to stay. And I wanted to stay. _Gods,_ how I wanted to stay. I just…couldn't.

"Isn't there anything I can do?" he begged. "Anything at all? Please, just tell me."

Before I could stop myself, I yelled, "You could start by proving that you're not going to hurt me again!"

"Fine. I promise, I _swear_, I'll never—"

"Don't you dare throw promises at me!" I screamed, enraged. "Don't think that by saying the right words that you'll convince me to stay. Promises can be too easily broken. I need _proof_. What proof can you show me that you're through with hurting me? Huh? _Prove_ to me that you won't lay a hand on me again."

The Pharaoh bowed his head, ashamed. "I can't."

It was all the confirmation I needed. I ripped my hand from his grasp, slamming the throne room door behind me.

* * *

Three days later, I arrived back at the inn with groceries from another shopping day. _I swear, Ferod and his donkeys are going to drive us out of business_, I thought.

I turned the door handle to find Mana and Karn sitting at one of the tables in the dining area, talking to each other. Mana had her usual bright smile, but she also had a brown satchel draped across her shoulder. As soon as the two of them heard the door open, they stopped talking and stared at me. The frown on Mana's face was unusual, and didn't suit her at all.

"What's going on?" I asked, setting the groceries down. "What were you two just talking about?"

Mana stood, gazing at me seriously. "The Pharaoh would like to give you a gift," she announced officially. "He hopes you'll accept his deepest apologies for not being able to present it to you himself, but he has many royal duties to attend to. As such, he could not take the time to—"

"Whatever it is," I said. "I don't want it." I grimaced at the satchel, which no doubt contained the "gift" he wanted to give me. "If he really thinks he can bribe me into coming back, he's dead wrong; _especially_ if he doesn't even have the decency to come here himself."

"I thought you might say that."

I gasped, whirling around toward the kitchen door. The Pharaoh, redressed in his servant attire, walked out to join the rest of us. He too had a satchel across his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mana," he said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I appreciate you taking the time to come out here with me."

"Oh, no problem, sir," she said, smiling again. "I mostly just wanted to see Rhea again anyway." She turned and waved to Karn and me as she headed for the door. "Bye Rhea. Bye Karn. It was nice seeing you."

"It was wonderful to meet you dear," Karn replied. Mana grinned happily, and left. As the door closed behind her, I stared at the man in front of me.

"So, what was that all about," I asked, jabbing my thumb at the door through which Mana had just left.

The Pharaoh just shrugged. "What can I say," he answered nonchalantly. "I like a little bit of a dramatic effect."

I glared at him. He quickly realized he'd said the wrong thing.

"I didn't mean it like that, Rhea," he said. I didn't answer him. I just turned my glare toward the stairs.

"What do you want?" I realized my behavior was inappropriate at the moment. But I just couldn't afford to fall for him. What if he hurt me again? I wasn't sure I'd be able to leave him. It was better, in my mind, to keep him at a distance and possibly never love again than to fall in love with a man who would potentially end up being my downfall. "Anything you give me won't make me change my mind. I've already made my decision."

"I realize that," he said. "I just came to make something right." He began digging into the satchel. "I know this won't make up for what I've done to you, but…" He pulled something out of the bag: the headband! "...If my father could trust you with this, then I figure so can I."

I was stunned. He knew it was his mother's most prized possession (next to her son, of course), and yet here he was, placing it on my head just as his father had before he died. He stepped back to examine me, and smiled.

"You look beautiful. Of course, that's nothing new."

I was speechless. What could I say? A mere "thank you" couldn't describe what I was feeling.

The Pharaoh must have taken my silence as something it wasn't, because he sighed heavily and said, "I figured as much. I'm sorry I hurt you so deeply, Rhea. I only wish you would give me one last chance. I understand, though, how strongly you must feel. I won't try to change your mind."

He headed for the door. Before he left, though, he took one last look at me and said, "…Goodbye, Rhea. I hope you find someone who deserves you more than I do."

I snapped from my trance too little too late.

* * *

Geez, I just realized how bipolar my characters are. -_-'' I swear, that was _not_ my intention. Anyway...

Can Rhea catch up to Atem in time? Even if she does, will he take her back? Or will it already be too late? Find out next week!

Don't forget to fave and review! :D


	13. Chapter 12-and-a-half: Counsel

After my fallout with the Prince in the throne room, I returned to the inn once again in tears. Karn told me I was being idiotic when I told what had happened, but I refused to listen to her. She knew some of what I'd gone through, but I'd never told her the full extent. There was no way she could understand how desperate I was to protect myself from drowning in the darkness that had devoured my childhood. And if that meant I had to sacrifice what little love life I had, then so be it.

The next day, I entered one of the empty bedrooms to clean it before the next guest arrived—at least, I thought it was empty. When I'd knocked on the door, there hadn't been any answer, so I let myself in. Whoever had last stayed here had obviously only used the room for sleep (if you find that strange, then you've never worked in an inn before), so there wasn't much to clean. I made the bed, swept, and tidied up what little there was to tidy. I was just putting the finishing touches on the bedside table (fresh-cut flowers in a clean vase as a homely welcome to a weary traveler), when I heard a noise at the window. I figured it was just another faithful servant of Bast the cat goddess come to watch me work (no, I am not arrogant, they do actually do that, and not just to me. Karn's sweeping seems to fascinate them as well), so I paid the noise no mind.

"Thank you so much for cleaning my room for me. It was becoming quite a mess."

I jumped, startled out of my wits. I whirled around to find a man sitting leaned against the window sill with one foot propped up for support. He looked like he could be Auset's—much older—brother. He was tall, with the same flashing blue eyes and stark white hair. He wore a faded black kilt and a blood-red coat that reminded me of the Prince's eyes. The coat hung open to reveal his bare chest. His skin was so dark, it looked almost as red as his coat. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest.

There was one striking difference between him and Auset. While she was quiet and shy, he had a cocky, evil air. Well, maybe not evil, but definitely manipulative to say the least. He flashed me a smile that seemed eerily familiar, with his glowing white teeth that were so sharp they were barely human. I knew immediately to keep my guard up around this one.

My heart had jumped so much, I put a hand to my chest to be sure it didn't leap away. Once it (my heart) had stopped trying to pound its way from my ribcage, I regained my composure and sent him a stern glare.

"Sir," I said, placing my hands on my hips. "Please refrain from climbing through the second-story window when there is a perfectly-working door out front."

"Ah, but what would be the fun in that?" he asked sarcastically, climbing down from the window into the room and walking towards me. He had a strange accent, similar to Auset's. "Besides, if I had tried the front door, I might have missed walking in on a pretty girl like you. You know, those ragged clothes really don't suit your good looks."

I glared at him, unfazed by his hollow compliments. "You said this was _your_ room. Karn told me nobody's heard from the resident in this room in days. If this is your room, why haven't you been down to have any meals?"

The man shrugged, still smirking. "I'm not much of a 'people' person," he said. "I'm rather picky about my company."

"You could always request to have your meal brought to your room," I informed him.

"Only if it was by you, dear," he replied, winking.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You said you weren't a 'people' person," I observed, "yet you don't seem to have a problem with me."

He chuckled, leaning one arm against the wall by my head, bringing his face closer to mine. "What man _wouldn't_ want the company of a beautiful young lady like yourself?"

I didn't like him. His mere presence made me uneasy. But I wouldn't let him see my discomfort. It would only egg him on and make things worse. I kept my stone face.

"I appreciate the compliment," I lied, darting underneath his arm and heading for the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going. I still have many more chores to do." I reached the door knob and started to pull the door open. "At dinner, I will bring you your meal, as requested—" Before I could open the door enough to slip through, the door knob was yanked from my grasp and the door slammed shut again. I looked up the man, who was leaning with his back against the doorframe and grinning at me wickedly. He was easily a half-cubit taller than me, which didn't settle the knotted feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked rhetorically.

"I had hoped so," I replied, glaring. He shifted his weight to face me with his shoulder still against the door. I knew that there was no amount of strength that I could summon that would force the door open, and I was nowhere near as good at climbing through windows as he was. I was trapped.

"You look troubled," he said, still smiling (why was he so happy?).

"Do I?" I answered, slowly backing away from him, trying to think of a way I could escape.

"You have something on your mind. Well, other than trying to find a way to get out of your current situation." He laughed as if he found my distress funny. My eyes continued to dart around the room. "You won't find one, by the way."

"I can always try." My calves bumped the edge of the bed. I muttered a curse under my breath. I glanced back at the man. Luckily, he hadn't moved.

"Don't worry," he said. "I won't force myself on you. I'm not that kind of man."

"You could have fooled me," I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. Still, something inside me believed him. I couldn't shake my small feeling of relief.

"I have a natural appreciation for beauty," he said. And I'm ashamed to say that, now that I knew he held no ill intentions toward my…femininity, a slight blush crept up to my cheeks; at which he chuckled again, seeing as his words had finally gotten to me. "However, I've learned that trying to take beautiful things for oneself has a tendency not to pan out too well, so I leave well enough alone." The way he worded his explanation rose a small bit of curiosity in me, but not enough for me to investigate further. He pushed himself to a standing position, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Now that you feel a bit safer," he continued, "do you want to tell me what's been bothering you?"

"If I say no, will you let me leave without question?" I asked.

The man shook his head. "Probably not," he confessed.

I sighed. I'd figured as much. Cautiously, I sat down at the edge of the bed. There was no point in trying to lie to him, of that I was sure. No doubt, he would wring the truth out of me whether I wanted to tell him or not. So why bother putting myself through the torture?

"I'm having a bit of an emotional conflict," I began.

"With a young man, I presume," the man interjected.

I couldn't answer him at first. "…Yes, with a young man…" Before I could stop myself, it all came pouring out. I told him about how the Prince and I met, and didn't stop until I'd finished with our embrace in the throne room, and my fleeing for fear that he would hurt me again. As I went on about our adventures and misadventures, the man's smile steadily faded into a thoughtful frown.

"And now you don't know whether or not you should have stayed with him, am I right?" he guessed.

"Y…Yes. That's right. I don't know what to do. I want to be with him, but—"

"But you don't want your fears about him to be correct. You're afraid he'll turn out like your father."

I couldn't speak; there was a lump in my throat that kept me from saying anything. Instead I just nodded as my vision blurred. I blinked away the tears. I found it surprisingly easy to talk to him, once my suspicions of him had subsided.

"Do you want my opinion on this?" he asked. I nodded. "I think…should he prove to you that he will never lay a hand on you again, that you should be with him."

I swallowed the lump, forcing it down momentarily. "What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Well, human beings have never been very predictable. We're constantly changing depending on the situation we're in. No one can ever be sure that they can completely trust the person that they're with. But, if this young man loves you as much as you say, and you love him in return, then you should give each other a chance to grow. You're young adults. You must be able to take risks and bear the consequences, whatever they may be."

"So, you're saying that if he hurts me again, I'll just have to deal with it?"

"Of course not! I'm not saying that at all. I'm merely stating that what happens between you two from now on will be up to you. It only depends on how the two of you behave towards each other from this point on. Besides, if he does hurt you again, as you fear, then you always have the option of divorce—"

"No!" I exclaimed. The man looked at me curiously. "I'm not going to divorce anyone. I want my marriage to mean something. I want my first marriage to be my only marriage."

"I see. So that's why you're being so cautious with this one. Divorce is not an option for you. If you were to marry a…someone like your father, then you would be stuck with him for the rest of your life. But why put so much pressure on yourself?"

I stared down at my feet. When spoken aloud, it did sound rather odd, but… "I just want to know that I've made the right choice."

The man placed a hand gently on my shoulder. "You have to make that choice first. If you keep living your life in fear, then you'll never make the right choice at all, and then where will you be?"

"Broken and alone, as I always have been."

"You said it, not me."

"I…I guess you're right. I shouldn't be afraid of making the wrong decision. If I am, then I'll never make the _right_ one." I stood, filled with a new hope. I dared to even look at the man and smile. "Thank you so much. You've really helped a lot."

The man smiled back up at me. It was still a little unsettling, but not so much as it used to be. "Always glad to be of assistance, milady." From his seated position beside where I had been, he did a little bow. I wasn't sure whether or not he was joking, but I didn't let it bother me too much.

I started for the door. "I assume I'll be bringing you your dinner later today?" I asked.

His smile widened, and he winked at me again. "If you wouldn't mind, my dear."

I laughed and left his room, closing the door behind me.

* * *

Yes, 12.5. I got this inspiration while writing chapter 16. I thought, she could always consult with someone about how she feels, that might sway her feelings. Oh, wait! What if she talked to Bakura?! That'd be BEAST! This is actually what I thought would be the majority of the edits of chapters 12 and 13, but since I did this as a half-a-chapter, it's all good.  
So, yeah. That was Bakura. O_o Except, he's slightly different in this chapter from the series. Not only did I make him a bit of a flirt (You can't tell me you can't see it lol), but you also see a little bit more human side of him. (Except that he's well aware that Rhea's boy trouble is with Atem, and he's just using this to his advantage. You'll see what I mean soon.)  
Hope you enjoyed it. Please fave and review.


	14. Proposal

I tore out of the inn faster than I ever thought possible. When I flung the door open, however, I was met by a great throng of people. It seemed that everyone was taking advantage to the cooler weather. I tried peering over the crowd to find him, but with no luck.

_Kuriboh, fly over the crowd. See if you can find him._

_You got it, Master._

A bright green energy ball flew up into the air above my head, taking the shape of my dearest friend. He squinted out at the mob, trying to catch a glimpse of a familiar face.

Finally, I heard him cry,_ I see him! I see him!_

_Which way did he go? _I asked.

_He went this way!_ He flew off. I pushed through as many people as I could.

When I finally caught sight of him, I yelled out, "Sir, wait! Please wait!"

* * *

Atem couldn't hide his disappointment. He hadn't lied when he'd said that his life wasn't whole without her. His heart ached at the mere thought of living without her. She'd saved him; saved him from himself. She was the sunlight that broke through the dark cloud that had engulfed his life. With her gone, the darkness was back full force, with a bit more heaped on for good measure.

"Sir, wait! Please wait!"

He stopped. Had it just been his imagination, or was she calling out to him? A shadow blocked the sun from his eyes. He looked up to see what it was. Kuriboh was bouncing up and down in midair, seemingly alerting someone behind him where he was. Atem looked behind him to see to whom Kuriboh was addressing.

"Rhea? What are you doing here?"

Rhea smiled sweetly. "I found my proof."

No other words could have made Atem happier. He snatched her up into his arms, pressing his lips against hers. Every trace of the aforementioned darkness was blown away, shriveled to nothingness now that his "sun" had risen again.

All too quickly, Rhea pulled her lips from his, and laid her head on his shoulder. Her hair still smelled of that pleasant lotus scent he'd come to love. He gently stroked her hair.

* * *

"Marry me."

Surprised, I looked back up at the Pharaoh.

"What?"

He lightly stroked my chin with his thumb. He had a dreamlike smile on his face. "Marry me," he repeated. "Be my wife. Make me the happiest man in Egypt."

"I think you've already got that covered," I said with a slight smirk, feeling a tad evil. What can I say? After all I'd been through, there was no _way_ I wasn't going to make him beg a little bit. I figured even the great and mighty Pharaoh could do a little groveling now and then. Was it a sin to make the descendant of a god grovel for my affection? Possibly. Did I care? Not in the slightest.

However, he seemed to have an answer to everything I threw at him. "Even with all that I have, my life means nothing without you. I would give it all up to be with you."

"That seems a bit foolish, don't you think?"

"Love has turned many a scholar into fools."

"Perhaps they were all merely well-hidden fools to begin with."

"Then I'm the biggest fool of all."

I laughed. "That's just what I wanted to hear." I kissed him again.

"Are you planning on torturing me all day, or am I allowed to have an answer?"

I giggled mischievously. "Oh, you didn't think it would be a simple yes or no, did you?"

He shook his head with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "I'd been far too hopeful."

I merely flashed him a playful smile.

The Pharaoh sighed in mock defeat. "Alright, milady," he said dramatically. "What are your demands?"

"Well," I started, beginning to pace in a circle around him. I listed off all the things of monetary value that was included in my "demands." In reality, I didn't find any of these items at all appealing, but I figured it was what any money-grubbing maiden would ask of her filthy rich fiancé. I was well aware of the strange stares I was receiving from the people around me (it must have looked rather strange, a poor girl from the Market District asking for such lavish things from a man who appeared to be a servant of the Pharaoh, rather than the Pharaoh himself), as well as the fact that it was all the Pharaoh could do to keep from bursting into laughter, but I figured I could relish the moment while I still could. After all, a moment like this doesn't occur every day.

"…And finally," I said, finishing off my egregiously long imaginary lists of wants—included in which were things like 37 solid gold chariots, 58 purebred stallions, and any other absolutely outrageous item I could think of. "I want a husband who will treat me as if I don't exist, and who will _never_ be there when I need him most. Do you think you can arrange all of this?"

Still trying his hardest to stifle a laugh—and failing miserably—the Pharaoh bowed obediently, replying, "Your wish is my command. Is there anything else that would delay our wedding?"

"I've not agreed to any marriage, as of yet," I reminded him, speaking with an outrageously formal air.

The Pharaoh rolled his vermilion eyes. "Right, of course. How could I be so foolish as to assume you would accept my offer?"

"How, indeed." I made an exaggerated thinking pose for a moment, then snapped my fingers. "I must first consult with my advisor before coming to a decision."

"And who would your advisor be, exactly?"

I merely looked at him, grinning.

"Oh gods," he griped jokingly. "Must we go back there? That woman scares me."

I smiled. "Karn scares a lot of people," I informed him, taking him by the hand, leading him back the way we came. "Besides, I think you'll find she's warmed up to you quite nicely."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

I laughed.

* * *

I opened the front door just enough for my profile to be seen in the doorway, but not that of my "captive."

"Back so soon?" Karn asked, looking up from her sweeping. "I thought you'd gone after—"

"It seems I've found us a visitor, Karn," I said, not straying from my role in the Pharaoh's and my little game. I opened the door further and pulled him into view. "And he has made a rather noteworthy offer."

"Is that so?" Karn said, immediately catching on. "And what offer has been made?"

"He's asked for my _hand in_ _marriage_ of all things, can you imagine?"

Karn simply smirked.

"However, before I made my decision whether to agree to give him such as he desires, I thought I might consult with you a bit first. I figured you of all people would be able to make a clear judgment on whether or not this man is worthy."

Karn circled the Pharaoh, inspecting him carefully. I noticed his posture had tensed a bit. Perhaps he hadn't thought I was serious; at least, he hadn't thought he'd needed to be inspected. It was certain that he was having second thoughts now. I couldn't help enjoying this. I will admit I was having a bit of fun.

"Hmmm, he _looks_ healthy enough," Karn noted as she made her examination, "couldn't hurt for him to thicken up a bit though." I rolled my eyes. "It looks like he's got a good head on his shoulders, though he could stand to grow a few centimeters. He's got a nice face. I'll leave any 'lower' decisions to personal taste." At this, he and I both blushed, though I'm sure he had as much of an idea what that meant as I did. That is to say, we didn't have a clue. For a moment, I'd forgotten just how outspoken Karn could be. I was just reminded.

Karn finally looked at me with a bored look on her face (but with a mischievous twinkle in her eye). "He'll do."

The Pharaoh let out an obvious sigh of relief, smiling at me.

"Am I clear, then?"

I got another idea. I flashed him an impish smile. "Not quite."

"What more do you want from me?" he pleaded. "Do I have to get on my knees and beg you?"

I faked a surprised gasp. "It's like you read my mind."

"Oh come on," he complained. Funny, because he was still smiling like he was having fun. "Don't you think I've suffered enough?"

I shook my head. "Not quite," I said. I pointed at the ground in front of me. "On your knees, boy."

"Do I have to?"

"Do it, or it's no deal."

He rolled his eyes, and started to kneel, but paused for a moment. "Can we agree on only one knee?"

I thought about it. "Fine," I agreed. "One knee."

He got down on one knee, took my hand, and looked up into my eyes. Even through the playfulness of it all, my heart swelled as he spoke the words. "Rhea…Will you marry me?"

I nodded excitedly. "Yes. I will."

The Pharaoh smiled. "Fantastic." He stood. I wrapped my arms around him, and I felt his strong, warm arms wrap around me. For the first time in my life, I felt utterly safe cocooned in a man's arms.

He pulled away from me just enough to take my chin in one hand.

"I love you, Rhea."

My heart rate picked up considerably. I smiled. "I love you, too." I saw him smile for a moment before he leaned down and softly held his lips to mine.

At last, I could say those words without fear of betrayal. I no longer saw any malcontent in them. They now meant the same thing to me that they did for everyone else. I had always fantasized about finding this true meaning when I was younger, but as I grew up, I came to see that it was just a waste of time. Someone like me would never find real love, I was sure.

And yet, here I was, locked in the embrace of a man far beyond anything I could have imagined, finally understanding why people would potentially throw their entire lives away for something like this. It was the happiest feeling I'd ever encountered, and I never wanted to let it go.

The Pharaoh later asked me why I'd put up such a fuss before accepting his proposal, and for the longest time I could not provide him with an answer. Then, I remembered: nothing else about our relationship was what most people would consider ordinary. After all, he'd thrown me into a panic twice, only to _somehow_ make me fall in love with him all over again. So, why on earth would our engagement be so routine? One might argue that it would be the one normalcy that I could rely on in my life, but what's the fun in that? It wouldn't be nearly as memorable.

And no one can argue that it wasn't memorable. I'd practically ridiculed the Pharaoh, a holy being and a descendant of the gods, in front of the entire Market District. Of course, he was only dressed as a palace servant, and no one had ever really seen his face (sure they saw it when I saved him from that poisoned arrow the day we met, but they were more concerned with their own lives to really take into account what he looked like), I wasn't exactly making a _public_ mockery of him. It was just a _personal_ mockery. He was having fun with it anyway, so it must not have been too critical a sin.

* * *

We broke away from each other when Karn cleared her throat awkwardly. When she was sure she had our attention, she walked up to the Pharaoh looking rather sheepish.

"I apologize for the way I initially treated you," she said. "It seems I have misjudged you."

The Pharaoh turned to her, smiling. "I don't hold you at fault. Your initial perception of me was accurate at the time." He looked at me, placing his hand on my cheek. "But someone showed me the error of my ways, and changed me into a better man."

I blushed. "That man has always been inside of you," I said modestly. "He was just…hiding."

"Yes, but you were the one who brought him out." He took me by the hand, turning for the door. "Come. We must make preparations if we are going to have the wedding."

He readdressed Karn. "You are welcome to come. After all, you are Rhea's guardian."

Karn's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Are you serious? But…I don't have anything to wear."

The Pharaoh nodded. "I will arrange for a tailor to see you. It's the least I can do for all you've done."

It was the first time I ever saw Karn blush. And some of her previous customers have had some rather colorful language, and made lewd comments. Yet, she'd always either laugh along with them or—whenever such comments were directed towards me—would have them man "escorted" from her inn. But she never blushed.

Until now, her bright, round cheeks bursting with rosy color.

The Pharaoh gave a light tug on the hand he grasped. "Come with me," he said. "We must hurry and start the preparations."

"I thought it was supposed to be the woman who was to be so excited about the wedding," I said, with a slight giggle.

He flashed me a sly smile. I did my best to hide how weak my knees felt. Now that I'd fully embraced my feelings for him, they were coming at me with full force.

"We can't afford to just sit around," he replied, his deep voice like silk to my ears.

"And why's that," I asked. "I thought weddings take months to plan and prepare."

"They do," he said. "But we don't have that kind of time. We'll just have to use the preparations for the coronation ceremony."

"Why? What's the rush?"

He turned back around to face me. "Because I want to be married before my coronation."

I felt a little bit of heat sneak into my cheeks. "Th…that's not a lot of time," I said nervously. "Why on earth would you want it so soon?"

He gently brought his free hand to my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "Isn't it obvious?" he responded, speaking so softly I could barely hear him over my heart which was beating like a drum in my ears. "I want it set in stone that I am your husband _before_ I am pharaoh. You, Rhea, are my top priority."

I was speechless. What could I say? Nothing. There were no words that could convey how I was feeling, the way my heart leaped into my throat with pride. I was so happy, I wanted to cry. I could already feel the tears of joy stinging the back of my eyes. But I couldn't let them fall. It was too joyful a moment for tears.

So, instead, I did the only thing I could think to do that would come close to illustrating my level of emotions: I tore my hand from his, wrapped my arms around him, and kissed him with all the passion I'd held back for so long.


	15. Wedding

"I don't think I can do this."

"You'll be fine. Just follow my lead."

"Sire, I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Please, don't make me do it."

The Pharaoh was grinning at me. It wasn't hard to tell he was trying not to laugh, but he was thoughtful enough to hold it back. Perhaps he was just afraid I would hit him if he did, not that I could do very much damage to someone of his stature and with his physique. "We have to. Don't worry. I'll be right by your side the entire time."

"Milady, I know you'll be wonderful. The people will love you."

"Are you sure? Do I look decent enough?"

The Pharaoh kissed my cheek. "You look beautiful as always."

"He's right," Auset said to my left. "You look marvelous."

The Pharaoh laced his fingers in with mine. "You have nothing to fear. I'll be holding your hand the whole time."

"You…you promise?" I knew it was childish of me, but I didn't care. I've never liked having people's attention. Just the thought of it terrifies me. The further into the background I can fade, the better off I am.

Unable to hold it back any longer, I heard the Pharaoh choke out a bemused chuckle. "Of course. I promise." He kissed my forehead.

I was finally able to allow myself the smallest of smiles. Having him by my side wasn't a total relief, but it was a slight comfort knowing he would be there.

"Alright," I said. "I…I think I'm ready." I took one last look in the mirror. My wedding dress was simple, but elegant. It was made in a rush, yet it fit perfectly. It rested on my shoulders by the intricate sleeves that opened at the point of my shoulder all the way down to my elbow, forming an O. I noticed that my hair had grown out until it almost touched my shoulders. I was wearing the headband both now Pharaohs had given me.

The Pharaoh seemed to notice my inspection as he joined me in gazing at out reflections and smiled.

"It doesn't feel real," I said, only half talking to him. "It still feels like a dream. I'm still afraid I'm going to wake up in the Market District."

"I know," he answered, having heard all of this many times before in the past seven days. "But it is real now."

I turned, wrapping him in a hug. "I don't deserve you," I said.

"Don't say that," he replied stroking my hair. "After everything you've been through, you deserve some peace in your life for once."

"Stop saying that!" I cried, tearing away from him, facing the mirror. "You're not convincing me that this isn't a dream."

"What do you want me to say, Rhea?" he argued, keeping his voice noticeably gentle. "That you don't really deserve this, and that this has all been some sort of sick joke?"

"It would make this seem more believable," I admitted. "It would feel more real."

"That," the Pharaoh said, "is a cruel mentality to have."

"It's helped me survive until now."

"Well, I hope to cure you of that." He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder, gazing into the mirror with me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as his words sank in. Yet, with the tears came a joyous smile. I faced him again, still in his arms, and kissed his soft, warm lips.

"All right you two," Karn said, startling me into reality. "Save it until _after_ the wedding."

I gasped, my face was burning. I let my hair fall in front of my eyes to keep the Pharaoh from seeing how embarrassed I was. I didn't matter though, I realized when I heard his silken laughter rumble up from his chest.

"Thank you Karn," I said sarcastically. "Please _leave_, Karn."

This just made the Pharaoh laugh harder…which cause the red hue of my face to deepen…which made the Pharaoh laugh even harder… It turned a cruel cycle. But it was fun. I soon found myself giggling as well. Soon, the whole room was filled with laughter. Karn joined in as well.

Once we were able to breathe long enough to speak again, Karn said breathlessly, "Alright, I think that's enough of that for a while. Now, hurry, or you'll be late to your own wedding. Both of you."

She shooed the Pharaoh and me out the door, and led us down the hall to the courtyard, where the wedding was to be held.

Most marriages in the Market District were fairly simple and quiet, not much publicity went into it. But I'd expected that marriages for royalty were somewhat announced, considering the importance of them. However, I was surprised when the only people attending were Mana, Karn and Ferod, Shimon, and a few others. In fact, the only difference between the few common marriages I'd attended and my own was the social class of the guests.

Master Mahad acted as the marriage contract's scribe. The date was written down at the top of the papyrus page. I wrote my name as co-contractor (meaning wife). Karn and Ferod signed as my mother and father. Shimon had to write in the Pharaoh's father and mother's names in their absence—everyone bowed their heads in solemn respect as he did so—and he and Mana signed as the witnesses. The Pharaoh wrote his profession—as if it wasn't obvious—but left the column blank where he would have signed his name as the other contractor of the marriage (husband). I glanced at him, feeling a mix of awareness and concern tightening in my chest just slightly. His eyes met mine. I searched them for an answer, but his expression was unreadable. I prayed this wasn't a bad sign. Perhaps it was just marriage jitters, and I was blowing things out of proportion. At least, I hoped so.

Then, he nodded at me, as if to say "You'll get an explanation, I promise." I nodded back to him. I couldn't help feeling just a small amount of relief.

Once everything was finished, everyone headed back inside. The Pharaoh came up next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Is that it?" I asked a little befuddled. Wouldn't they make it more public, so that the whole kingdom could know that their king was now in wedlock?

The Pharaoh chuckled. "Now quite."

He took a sudden right turn, dragging me along with him, up a few flights of stairs. I referred to the map I'd drawn in my mind of the palace as he led me through the maze of corridors. With this path, I figured, we were headed straight for the public balcony, the one only made when the pharaoh was making important announcements like a coronation, the birth of an heir…

…Or a marriage.

I immediately stopped walking. It was obvious that the Pharaoh hadn't expected this, as he'd tried to continue down the hall, but was stopped because his arm was still around my waist. He looked back at me.

"What's wrong, Rhea?"

"I can't go out in front of all those people!" I cried, referring to the whole of the Imperial City.

The Pharaoh sighed, grinning as if he found my fear amusing. "You're too smart for your own good," he said. "Do you know that?"

"I've been told."

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you. I had a feeling you were uncomfortable around people when I listened to your 'distraction' your first day here."

"Now who's too smart for their own good?"

He laughed, turning to fold his other arm around me. He pulled me closer to him, leaning down until our foreheads were touching.

"Listen," he said. "It'll be easy. You won't have to say a thing. Just stand there and smile, and they'll be satisfied. And don't worry…" His end of nose gently trailed down the side of my nose as he brought his lips closer to mine "…I'll be right by your side the entire time."

I was suddenly finding it hard to breath.

"You…you promise?"

Our lips were almost touching now.

His voice was practically a whisper: "Have I ever lied to you before?"

There probably was a time when he'd lied to me, but my mind was so foggy that I couldn't think straight.

My lips parted, intending to say something, but all that came out was an incoherent mumble. The Pharaoh's soft laugh vibrated in his chest like rumbling thunder during a gentle storm.

Instead of leaning farther in like I thought he would to close the minute gap between us, he backed away, leading me down the hall once more with his arm still around my waist. I crossed my arms over my chest, pouting, more than a little disappointed.

I glared at him. "Tease," I whispered, lightly elbowing him in the arm.

He snickered and continued walking.

As we approached the public balcony, I began to hear the roar of the crowd outside. I swallowed my anxiety as best I could.

The Pharaoh must have sensed my fear because the hand he had around my waist slid across my back and interlocked its fingers with mine. The small gesture was enough to calm my nerves.

We stepped out into the view of the crowd. Their enthusiastic cheers were deafening, but reassuring. My previous nervousness seemed obsolete now. These people were cheering for me, not judging me. Why had I been so scared before? I thought. I had no idea.

The Pharaoh and I looked at each other. He nodded to me as if to say, _Are you ready?_

I smiled, nodding back. As ready as I'll ever be, I thought.

Suddenly, our hands that had been intertwined shot up into the air, officially proclaiming our marriage. The crowd roared with applause and cheerful shouts.

After our wedding "announcement" to the public, the Pharaoh and I waved goodbye to the crowd, and went back inside. Once we were out of sight of the people, I let my composure fall. It was such an adrenaline rush being up in front of all those people. I started giggling hysterically, flinging my arms around him and pressing my lips to his.

"It wasn't nearly as bad as you thought it would be, huh?" he said after he'd pried me away. I flashed him a lively smile and kept walking, but gave him no answer. He just rolled his eyes.

After a moment, I couldn't take not knowing. Something was bothering me, and I hadn't been able to get it out of my mind since it had occurred to me.

"Pharaoh," I began.

He kept his eyes straight forward, his smile fading. "Let me guess," he interrupted. "You want to know why I didn't put my name on the marriage contract."

I nodded shyly. "It just…sparked my curiosity."

He laughed once humorlessly, pulling one corner of his mouth up into a half-smile. "Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you. If you're worried about me having second thoughts, you can relax. Believe me, I would sign it in a heartbeat if I could."

"Why can't you?" I asked.

He frowned again, his tone changing. "It's…difficult to explain."

"Try me."

He sighed. "Do you know the legend of the Lord of Darkness?"

I nodded. Of course I did. Everyone did. The Lord of Darkness was this terrifying being who created the Shadow Realm and all of its horrors. When the earth was first being created, he'd tried to take it over, but was defeated by the Egyptian gods, and banished to his domain of nightmares. But not before he swore that he would return and take control of the earth and all of its inhabitants. I always thought it was just a story.

"It was prophesied that he would return one day and blanket the world in darkness, and he could only be stopped by the Chosen Pharaoh."

"I don't understand. What does this have to do with your name?"

"The Chosen Pharaoh will have such power that his name alone will be able to both summon _and_ banish the Lord of Darkness from this world. Therefore, the Pharaoh must never reveal his name until it has been determined that he is _not_ the pharaoh of prophecy. If an heir to the throne is born, then his name can be known only by himself and his closest relatives. In my case, it would have been my father and me alone who would know my name."

I frowned. The fact that he never mentioned a wife did not escape me. "How is it determined that he isn't the Chosen Pharaoh?"

"Only the Chosen Pharaoh has the power to summon the Egyptian gods. If the Pharaoh cannot summon the gods, then his name may be revealed."

"Your Highness!"

One of the guards appeared, bowing at the Pharaoh's feet.

"What is it, Behran?" the Pharaoh replied.

"Sir, we have found a man trying to sneak out of the palace. He had many of valuable objects with him, all of which had been reported missing by various staff members. What do you suggest we do, sire?"

"Did he say what his name was?"

"He claims his name is…Bakura, sir." The Pharaoh thought for a moment about the details he was just given.

"Alright," he said finally. "Take him to a temporary prison site outside of the city. I'll not have my wedding and coronation celebrations interrupted by petty criminals like him."

Behran nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty." He stood and left as quickly as he had entered.

"That was…strange," I said.

"That is the life of the pharaoh." He took me by the hand. "Come. I have to show you something."

He led me back all the way down the hall. The double doors at the end of the hall were elegantly carven, the bronze doorknobs were gleaming.

The Pharaoh turned back to me. His eyes held an expression I'd never seen before.

"I want you to close your eyes," he said. I obeyed, feeling both playful and wary. I heard one of the doors open. He led me forward, inside the room, and closed the door behind me.

The Pharaoh's warm breath caressed my ear as he whispered, "Open your eyes."

I did, and gasped. I found myself standing in the most beautiful room I'd ever seen! It wasn't quite as big as my room, but the décor of it was far beyond anything I could have imagined. The elegant patterns painted on the walls were intricate and colorful. The bed's four-poster canopy was carved with an exotic design. The balcony to the right of the bed overlooked a beautiful view of the Nile and the oases on its banks. The water sparkled from the spotted light of the stars above.

"It's so beautiful," I said. "Whose is it?"

The Pharaoh didn't reply, but merely smiled down at me.

"M-me?" I said, putting a hand to my chest. "This…this is my new room?"

"You're close," the Pharaoh responded, placing his hands on my hips. "It's ours." He laid a soft kiss upon my lips.

_Ours_. That one word made this whole day real. Until the word _ours_, I still felt as if I were living in a fantasy world, some extraordinary dream from which I was afraid to wake up. But as soon as he'd said the word _ours_, I was hit with the realization that this wasn't a dream. This was my life. I was newly wed to the pharaoh of Egypt, a descendant of the gods! He had his choice of any woman in the world—he could have married a princess from some distant country—but he chose me.

It was only when he asked me what was wrong that I realized that I was crying. I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"It's nothing," I told him. "I'm just…very happy."

The Pharaoh grinned. "I'm glad," he said, and kissed me again. It was soft and slow at first—so soft I could barely feel it—but as time went on, the pace quickened and the kiss deepened. His hands rose from my hips to the small of my back, pulling me closer; while mine went to his strong, warm chest. I could feel his heartbeat. His heart was beating as fast as mine was.

All too soon, he pulled his lips away from mine. Though I had no idea at the time, his next three words would become some of the most important in my life:

"Are you ready?"

I nodded. "As I'll ever be," I replied. He let go of me, and took a step back, tugging at the cloak on his shoulders and the collar that held it in place.

He must have noticed my confused expression. "I won't need them," he explained. "They'll only get in the way."

He dropped the garments on the floor, and came back to me, slowly leading me toward the bed.

"Now," he said, "where were we?"

His silken voice gave me chills. His lips were soft and gentle as they lightly brushed against mine. His hands, rather than returning to my back and waist, ventured up to my shoulders. His thumbs dove beneath the straps of my dress. I felt the fabric slide to my ankles as I was laid on the bed.

* * *

Yeah, awkward ending. O/./O Initially, I thought this would be the worst of it. (Un)fortunately I was wrong. It gets a tad worse in the next chapter. Expect the rating of this story to go up dramatically by the end of the month.

Also, I've had a recent inspiration about the last chapter, so it might end up being broken up into two separate chapters due to an increase in teen-y angst on Rhea's part (cuz she hasn't had enough of it yet XD). So, that might happen. All the goofy stuff will still be in there, but it might be more spread out.

And, finally, TODAY'S MAH BURFDAY! I iz officially a legal adult. So, as my personal birthday gift to all of you, here's the latest chapter. You're welcome. :P


	16. Bliss

We lay there in each other's arms, our legs entangled, still lost in the memory of what we'd just done. There had been some pain, but it was canceled out by the overwhelming sensation of ecstasy that filled my body.

I laid my head on the Pharaoh's chest, listening to the rhythms of his heartbeat and his steady breathing.

"I love you Pharaoh," I whispered contentedly.

He didn't say anything for a while.

"Atem," he said, finally.

I looked up at him. "What did you say?" He didn't look back at me. He just kept gazing at the ceiling, a sort of fragile smile on his face.

"My name. It's Atem."

I blinked, somewhat stunned. "I thought…I thought no one was supposed to know your name."

"No one except my family," he smirked. "And, last time I checked a wife was considered family."

I blushed.

"Besides," he continued, "I'm going to need somebody to remind me who I am. Considering the fact that there's no record of my name anywhere, and everyone else only calls me Pharaoh or Your Highness, if I don't have _someone_ to call me by my name, I might forget it myself."

I laughed. "That's very true." Then, a thought occurred to me. I sent a playful smirk his way.

"So, I'm assuming this is something else that stays just between us?"

"When we're like this," he replied, "_anything_ that's said stays between us."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "So, all I have to do is get you into bed to know your deepest, darkest secrets?"

"I can barely keep my mouth shut when you have your clothes _on_," he confessed jokingly. "How can I resist you without them?"

"Well now," I said in mock disbelief at the outrageousness of his remark.

"See what I mean?"

I laughed soundlessly at him.

The Pharaoh—excuse me, _Atem_—lifted my chin so that my gaze met his. I couldn't help but notice how his eyes looked almost violet in the dark of night. It gave him a mysteriously haunting air.

"I love you, Rhea," he whispered, softly laying a small kiss on my lips.

"I love you, too…Atem." The name suited him, I thought. It was simple and intelligent, yet strong and commanding.

Atem sighed happily. His hot breath licked my ear as he whispered, "Say my name again." His strong arm slid around my middle and pulled me closer to him.

I murmured, "Atem."

"Say it again," he said, kissing my neck.

My muscles tightened. "Atem."

"Again." His lips trailed my jawline. He shifted his weight to where he was lying on top of me. The arm that wasn't around my waist grasped the back of my thigh. I kept repeating his name over and over, steadily growing louder as the pressure within me grew. It wasn't long before I was screaming it at the top of my lungs.

* * *

When Atem finally collapsed by her side again, they were both panting. He stared at the ceiling above him. He hadn't any idea where that had come from, but he didn't regret it. _Gods_, no. Hearing her say his name like that gave him such a rush, his body had seemed to take over. The mere recollection of the way her smooth skin felt pressed against his was enough to make him want to lose control all over again.

He heard Rhea roll over as she placed her hand on his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. He smiled down at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. He covered her hand with his own. He closed his eyes and drifted off, lulled to sleep by Rhea's quiet breathing.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, songbirds were twittering on the balcony outside. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I felt a slight breeze across my chest. I looked down, and realized with a start that I was still naked. I quickly picked up the sheet to cover my breasts.

Then I heard breathing to my right. I saw that Atem was still sleeping, his dark chest rising and falling slowly and peacefully. His lips were just barely parted slightly upturned in a contented smile. I smiled back down to him, recalling when I found him the same way in the garden. Only this time, his facial features seemed more chiseled, more mature; his shoulders were broader; the muscles on his arms were more defined. In the garden, he'd been a boy. Now, he was a man.

As quietly as I could, I slipped out of bed. I dressed quickly in my new wardrobe. It wasn't much more extravagant than my dress as a noble, I noticed.

I jumped when I felt Atem's arms slide around my waist. Even after all these years, I still hadn't curbed the reflexes I'd developed from living with my father.

"Good morning to you too," he said playfully at my reaction.

I laughed sheepishly. "I'm still getting accustomed to this whole 'love' idea," I replied, turning around in his arms to face him. "I'm not exactly used to it yet."

"It's fine," he said, giving me a peck on the cheek. "Take all the time you need."

We were just about to kiss again when there was a knock on the door.

"Your Highness," Shimon said.

Atem groaned, but answered. "Yes, Shimon."

Shimon knocked again. "Pharaoh, are you in there?"

"Oh, I almost forgot." He waved his hand in a small circle uttering a quiet incantation under his breath.

"I'm here, Shimon," he said. "What do you need?"

"Sire, we must discuss your upcoming coronation ceremony as soon as we possibly can."

"Alright, Shimon," Atem replied smiling. "Meet me in the throne room after breakfast."

"Yes, sir." Even through the thick wood of the door, I could hear Shimon's sigh of relief.

"Why do you let him get so worked up?" I lightly scolded once Shimon was out of earshot.

Atem shrugged. "He's going to get worked up whether I let him or not. He gets very nervous without authoritative guidance."

I raised an eyebrow at my husband. "Are you saying that Shimon doesn't like not having an official Pharaoh in charge to keep things in order?"

He shook his head, smirking. "Not at all. I'm saying that, as the Pharaoh's adviser, he doesn't like not having a Pharaoh to advise."

I laughed. "Well, whatever the case may be, you might want to get dressed and put his poor mind at ease."

His grin was evilly mischievous. "What," he said innocently. "You don't think I can discuss important matters like my own coronation naked?"

"It's not that I think _you_ can't," I replied matter-of-factly (or, as matter-of-factly as one can be when addressing one's husband's sudden interest in public nudity). "However, I think the others will have a hard time concentrating on the subject at hand."

Atem rolled his eyes. "Fine," he conceded in mock defeat. "If my lady wishes it, then I suppose I must."

I patted him on the cheek. "That's a good boy."

He started to walk away.

"By the way," I said. Atem looked over his shoulder at me.

"Yes?"

"Why couldn't Shimon hear you at first?"

He shrugged again and picked up his clothes. "I put a muting charm around the room before I showed it to you," he replied nonchalantly. "I had a feeling I would be revealing some sensitive information, and I couldn't afford to have anyone overhearing. I'm glad I did, too. It turned out to be more useful than I'd anticipated."

My cheeks heated up as I thought back to last night when I'd been screaming his name. He turned back to me when I didn't respond, and laughed softly.

"Don't worry," he said, kissing my forehead. "Even if I hadn't put the charm up, I wouldn't trade last night for anything." He cupped my face in his hands, smiling at me for a moment, and kissed me.

Our lips danced to a sweet, inaudible song. His hand found its way to the small of my back, pressing me against his warm body as his tongue slid into my mouth. I brought my hands to his chest, having just enough control over my body to push myself away.

"No," I said, my breathing a little heavy. "Not right now."

"Oh come on," he purred, his voice like liquid gold. "Just a few minutes. You won't be sorry. I'll even put the muting charm back up if you like."

It was a tempting offer, a _very _tempting offer. But, unfortunately, it was one I couldn't accept.

"Shimon will have a heart attack of you don't meet him in the throne room."

"Oh, he'll be fine." His lips caressed my jaw up to my neck just beneath my ear. "Besides, I'm not meeting with him until after breakfast. That's more than enough time." He used the thumb of his free hand to stroke my shoulder lightly, inching the strap of my dress closer to the end of my shoulder until it was hanging limp on my upper arm. It was getting harder and harder to resist him. His scent—which was robust and earthy—was intoxicating. I could feel the goosebumps rising on my arms. I wanted so badly to give in.

He started pulling me back toward the bed.

_No,_ I thought to myself. _I couldn't let him use me like this. I had to stand firm._ "We can't," I said. I tried to put as much conviction in my voice as I could, but it didn't do much. All that came out was a whiny squeak. He chuckled under his breath. My lack of resolve must have amused him. His teeth lightly scraped the skin of my earlobe, sending a shock through my body. He continued his kisses down my neck as I fell back onto the bed.

He climbed onto the bed with his knees on either side of me. "You were saying?" he said, smiling. I realized that I was fighting a losing battle. He leaned down and brought his lips to mine.

I had just given in when there was another knock at the door.

"Lady Rhea." Auset's voice was muffled by the thick wooden door. Atem pulled away, sighing dejectedly. I ignored him.

"Yes, Auset," I answered. "What do you need?"

"I'm sorry to bother you ma'am," she began.

"A little late for that," Atem muttered. Again, I ignored him.

"It's fine," I said. "Did you need something?"

"May…may I come in?"

Atem and I looked at each other with the same panicked expression.

"Uhh, wait there for just a moment, would you please, Auset?"

"Of course, madam."

Atem quickly climbed off the bed, grabbed his clothes, and ran to hide Ra only knows where. I kicked my discarded wedding dress under the bed.

Once I was sure Auset wouldn't find him, I let her come in. I sat on the side of the bed smiling as best I could. If Auset noticed anything, she didn't mention it.

"I apologize again for disturbing you," she said.

"It's alright," I told her. "What's going on?"

"Master Mahad asked me to remind you that you still have magic lessons every other morning, and that you don't have the right to skip them just because you're married now, even if it is to the future king."

I frowned. _Oops._

Auset recoiled. "Please don't be angry with me!" she begged. "I was only following orders!"

I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. I recognized the fear in her voice. It was the same kind of fear I'd held in my own for so many years.

"You've nothing to fear," I coaxed, wrapping my arms around her in a protective hug. "I'm not going to hurt you. Even if I _was_ angry, which I am not, I would never direct my aggression towards you. It would be of no use to strike the mere messenger."

"You are far more forgiving than many of the nobles I have dealt with, Your Majesty."

"Those men are cruel, heartless bastards if they would hurt an innocent child like you," I told her, my voice laced with venom. "They should be whipped for their misdeeds."

Auset pulled back and gazed at me in fear. "You won't tell them, will you?" she pleaded. "Please don't tell them I told you."

"Of course not, dear," I replied. "I don't even know their names. You never told them to me, did you?"

She shook her head. "No ma'am."

"Then I can't tell them you told me, if I don't know who they are."

I knew it was a twisted logic but, as I'd expected, it seemed to calm her nerves enough to smile.

"Thank you, milady," she said, hugging me. "You are truly a kind soul."

I smiled. "Now, tell Mahad that I have received his message, and I will come by later today to discuss a possible change in schedule. Ra knows I'm not much of a morning person."

Auset laughed. "Yes ma'am." She smiled at me once more and left the bedroom. I sighed. I was starting to grow an attachment to that girl.

Atem soon emerged from his hiding place, now fully dressed. He was grinning at me.

"What?"

"I've never seen that side of you before," he said. "You almost sounded like—"

"Like a noble," I guessed.

His smile widened. "Like a mother."

I'd thought, after last night, nothing he said could make me blush. But, as usual, I'd underestimated him. My face felt hot. I turned away from him.

Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me, and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Have you ever thought about having children someday?" he asked.

I scoffed. "I'd have to have thought I'd be married first," I said.

He looked at me curiously. "You never thought you'd marry?"

I shrugged, embarrassed that I'd said anything. "It just…never crossed my mind," I argued. "I…never really considered it to be a possibility."

His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Why not?" he asked.

I couldn't answer, because truthfully I wasn't entirely sure myself.

"I just…didn't. Besides, my life is hectic enough as it is. A baby would just complicate things even further."

"Mahad will ease up eventually," Atem assured me, his smile returning. "The only reason he's being so hard on you now is because he sees so much potential. If he didn't, he would let you skip almost every lesson if you wanted to. You've advanced more in a month than the majority of the class has been able to with years of training. You've even mastered the duplication spell, one of the hardest a magician can cast."

"I just remembered what you taught me about the placement of my feet and arms, and how to channel my energy," I said modestly. "Once I had that down, things just started coming naturally to me."

"A lot of things seem to come naturally to you."

I cocked my head a bit at his remark.

"What do you mean by that," I asked. He didn't answer. He merely released my waist and started for the door.

"I'll see you at breakfast," he said winking, giving me a small peck on the cheek. Before he closed the door behind him, he added, "On a more serious note, I will be looking into whoever is mistreating your servant, Auset." He turned back to me to meet my eyes. The look in his eyes was deathly serious. If looks could kill, the men in question would have fallen on the spot. "You're right. Those men _are_ bastards, and I can guarantee that they won't get away with it for much longer."

He left without another word. I stood there a moment, slightly dumbfounded. Then, as his words slowly began to sink in, the corners of my mouth twitched. Perhaps there were more perks to having the Pharaoh as a husband than I thought.

* * *

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry this was so late! I got really busy on Friday, and I completely forgot about it.

Anyway, I told you it would get worse.

I PLAY THE TRAP CARD COCKBLOCK! XD I had already finished this chapter by the time YGOTAS 57 was released, and when I saw that part, I was crying I was laughing so hard at the irony.

Quick note: Please be assured that no Kurbohs were mentally scarred during the making of this chapter. Rhea and Kuriboh can shut off their connection at any time, so he and his adorable innocence were saved. No need to worry.


	17. Breakfast

I quickly caught up with Atem on the way to the dining hall, and laced my fingers with his. He smiled at me, and we walked together in silence. That is, until he started laughing under his breath.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "It is most certainly _not_ nothing, or you wouldn't be laughing," I argued.

He rolled his eyes, but confessed, "Something just occurred to me."

"What's that?"

"The last time we were seen together in the dining hall, we acted as if we couldn't stand each other. Now, we'll be entering as husband and wife."

The thought hadn't occurred to me before; but as I pictured it, the scene _was_ a bit silly. "It would seem like a drastic shift in attitude to most outsiders," I admitted, giggling a little.

Atem laughed. "Indeed it would."

I looked down at my feet. I couldn't help but notice that our feet were walking at the exact same pace. "Well," I noted, "I don't think many people are surprised by it, though."

"Is that so?" he said.

I nodded. "Before you showed me our room, I happened to notice a few people passing by. They all seemed to have this…satisfied look on their faces, as if they were expecting it."

Atem's lips curled into a sort of half-smile. "I figured as much," he said. I just looked at him. He glanced at me when I didn't respond, laughing again when he noticed my expression.

"Let me explain," he said in a calming, yet amused tone. "People are always interested in scandals, surprises, things that break the mundane routine of everyday life. Of course, no amount of scandalous affairs can quite match up to a good love story. It brings out the hidden romantic side in all of us. It gives us the sense that, by observing other people's happiness, we too can lead happy lives of our own. And what could be a better love story than the prince of Egypt falling in love with a servant girl, especially if they have a rocky start? Anybody watching the two from the outside can anticipate the harsh anger turning into _some_ sort of passion. Whether it is spiritual or sensual, it really doesn't matter. The feelings are still there. Of that, no one can deny. Don't you agree?" He watched me carefully in search of a response.

I couldn't answer him at first. I was stunned into silence. I quickly shook myself free of my trance, and admitted, "That…was beautiful." It didn't answer his question, but it was the only thing I could think to say at the time.

He laughed, and I grinned. "I never knew you were such a hopeless romantic," I added.

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "There are lots of things you don't know about me," he said, smirking. "Perhaps if you hadn't spent so much time apologizing, you might have learned a thing or two about me."

"Perhaps if _you_ hadn't insisted on your superiority over me, I might not have apologized so much."

"When did I ever tell you I was superior," he asked with what I assumed was feigned haughtiness.

"You didn't have to," I replied, scrunching up my face like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum. "Your body said it for you. If your mouth had said it, it would have been redundant." To give my statement emphasis (and a slight touch of further ridiculousness), I gave my hair a confident _toss_ with the back of my hand.

He stopped walking. "Is that so?" A sly shadow suddenly fell over Atem's face, and I realized I'd said the wrong thing. His smirk widened, almost evilly so. "Is that all my body was saying?"

_Uh oh._

I forced myself to maintain a straight face. "Why would you like to know," I asked.

He turned toward me, the shadow falling over me as well. "Curiosity," he replied. His face was calm, but there was something hidden deeper within. He was toying with me. Of that I was sure.

"If you're planning on teasing me like you did yesterday, you'd better think again."

He took a step closer to me, his expression unchanging. His eyes were only half-open, staring down at me coolly, as if he might fall over unconscious at any moment. His body, on the other hand, was straight and alert. His back was straight, and his shoulders were rolled back. The man exuded confidence.

He held my chin between his thumb and his pointer finger. "Now, why on earth would I do something like that?" he purred.

"Because you find it amusing," I said, my voice unwavering. I was not going to fall for his little trick again. There were only so many times his nearly-godlike appearance and deep, smooth voice could affect me.

His hand that was holding my chin lightly traced my jawline until he had my face cupped in his palm. Despite my firm stance, shivers slid down my spine. He chuckled, though whether it was at my remark or my reaction, I didn't know.

"Perhaps," he conceded, leaning in closer to me. "But you can't say that you don't enjoy it as well." Before I had a chance to argue, he softly pressed his lips against mine.

_I won't fall for it, _I repeated firmly in my head. _I won't fall for it. I won't fall for it. I won't fall for it._

The kiss deepened, and I immediately melted in his arms.

_Damn…I fell for it._

All too soon, he pulled away and smiled down at me. "I think we should probably get to breakfast now," he said, "before Shimon sends a search party to come find us."

"You didn't seem to think of that back in the bedroom," I noted. He didn't reply. He merely sent me a quick wink and took my hand, leading me once again to the dining hall.

* * *

We finally reached the dining hall. When we opened the doors, we were greeted with a standing ovation by the other people at the table, including Karn and Ferod who had been granted permission to stay the night here in the palace. My face burned and I buried my face in Atem's shoulder. He smiled as he took his hand from mine, wrapped it around my shoulder, and kissed the top of my head. I didn't know what it was about my being embarrassingly modest that amused him, but I was certainly providing him plenty of entertainment.

The seats had been rearranged so that there were now two seats side by side at the head of the table. The food hadn't even been served yet. As soon as Atem and I took our seats, our meal was served and we all began the morning's chatter.

Lady Isis, who was seated where Atem's spot had been as Prince, congratulated me and expressed her hopes that Atem and I would have many happy years together. The statement was a bit stiff, but there was something in her eye, I couldn't place what it was, that gave me the feeling there was more to her words than just the words themselves.

I looked around the table to the others. Karn and Shimon were having a rather pleasant talk, and I could already see a friendship budding between the two. However, Ferod was sitting quietly, pushing the food around his plate looking somewhat despondent. No doubt he was worried about "his" precious donkeys back home. Meanwhile, Karim and Aknadin were discussing the political affairs of surrounding nations and how it might affect alliances that Egypt has made over the years. Shada had asked Mahad how his apprentices were coming along with their training. Mahad replied that many of his students were making great practice, but that he was having minor attendance problems with a few. For a split second, I could have sworn his eyes flickered in my direction. Beside me, Atem and Seto were whispering about something, but their voices were so low, I couldn't understand what they were talking about. Atem glanced back at me for a moment, smiling, took my hand, and went back to his conversation. I could only assume they were talking about me.

* * *

"So, my king, you slept well, I presume?"

"Seto," Atem laughed, "we're friends, remember? There's no need to speak so formally."

The young priest shrugged. "I just had to be sure," he said. He leaned closer to his friend and whispered, "So, how was it?"

Atem rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to discuss that in front of my wife," he said with a chuckle.

"Why not?" Seto asked. "You're the king. What can she do to you that would be so terrible?"

Atem lowered his voice. "If she hears me talking about it now, I might get any later." He glanced back at her. She was looking at them, probably trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. He smiled and took her hand. _No need to have her worry_, he thought, though he was fairly certain she'd already figured out they were talking about her.

"That good, huh," Seto said with a smirk.

Atem nodded. "Oh yeah." He brought his free hand up beside his mouth so no one else at the table could read his lips. "She was screaming by the end of the night. If I hadn't put a muting charm around the room, I'm pretty sure the entire kingdom would know my name by now."

Seto covered his mouth to keep his laugh from being heard by the new queen not a cubit away. It didn't matter though. She shot Atem a suspicious glare. Atem chuckled, kissing the fingers of the hand he was still holding. Though she still looked suspicious, she slowly smiled.

* * *

After a while, everyone ate their fill and began to file out of the dining hall. Atem offered to let Karn and Ferod stay at the palace, but they politely declined.

"I've got guests waiting for me back in the Market District," Karn said. "It doesn't make much money, but it's what I was destined to do. It's my calling." She looked to her husband, who looked all too anxious to leave. "Besides," she continued. "If I don't get Ferod home soon, he'll work himself into a frenzy worrying about those donkeys." She shook her head in exasperation, laughing. "I swear, one day I'm going to save up enough money to buy those stupid things for him," she muttered.

Ferod turned on his wife. "I wish you would stop calling them stupid," he said, offended by Karn's comment. It was the first time Atem had ever heard the man speak, and it was clear from the breathy rasp in his voice, that he probably hadn't spoken in quite a while. He couldn't help but find it a little odd that the old man was more concerned about the animals, and less concerned with the fact that had Karn had referred to him the same way someone would refer to a child throwing a temper tantrum.

Rhea stood, pulling her hand free of Atem's grasp, and giving each of her adopted parents a hug goodbye. "Thank you so much for coming, both of you," she said gratefully. "You've no idea how much you both mean to me."

"Dear, you're like a daughter to us," Karn replied. "How could we not come?"

"I wish I could come home with you," Rhea said wistfully. For a moment, Atem frowned.

"Don't be ridiculous," Karn argued. "You belong here, with your new husband. This is where _you_ were destined to be. We'll find someone else to help run the inn. They won't do it near as well as you…" Rhea giggled at the compliment. "…but we'll manage."

"In the meantime," she continued, "you behave yourself. I don't want to walk into the inn one day and find this young man…" She gestured toward Atem. "…sitting at a table complaining about something his wife has done."

Rhea glanced over her shoulder at Atem. "Oh, he's a tough boy," she said. "I'm sure he'll manage. If he hasn't by now, he'll learn to live with it." Karn, Rhea, and Atem all laughed.

Once all the laughter had died down, Karn said, "Well, we'd better be heading off."

"Okay," Rhea replied ruefully. "I'll see you soon." She waved goodbye and watched as her beloved friends left the room and headed for home.

After a few minutes of staring longingly at the closed door, Rhea finally turned her attention back to Atem.

"I _will_ get to see them soon, won't I?" she asked.

Atem nodded. "Of course," he said. "I'm not going to hold you hostage here in the palace when your family is outside. That would be cruel. Although, I fear you might not be able to visit them as often as you would like after the coronation and our true reign begins, but if necessary I will arrange specific days set aside for you to visit them."

Rhea wrapped her arms around her husband in a tight and loving embrace. "Thank you so much," she said. "You do so much for me I don't think I could ever repay you."

Atem looked her straight in the eyes as he said, "You already have." He laid a soft, simple kiss upon her lips.

Suddenly, a young servant boy entered the dining hall. "Your Majesty," he said formally, "Master Shimon is waiting for you in the throne room as per your request."

Atem nodded to the boy. "Thank you, young man," he replied. "Tell him I will be there as soon as I can."

The boy bowed obediently and left the room.

"You're leaving already?"

"The coronation is just a few days away, and there are still many things to sort out."

Rhea's shoulders slumped. "Alright," she conceded.

Atem smiled and kissed his wife's forehead. "I'll only be away for a few hours. I'll see you later on today. Besides, you've got your negotiations with Mahad to get underway."

"But, the assassin—"

"Hasn't been detected in weeks," he interjected, bringing his palm to her cheek. "If he comes back, I'll have plenty of guards to protect me."

The girl sighed. "Fine."

Atem couldn't hide his laughter. It was the first time he'd ever seen her act so childish. It was sort of amusing.

He lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. "Tell you what, after I'm finished with Shimon, and you're finished with your business with Mahad, you and I can go horseback riding later today. Is that alright with you?"

Her face betrayed both wonder and a slight pang of nervousness. "I've never ridden a horse before."

"Then I'll teach you. It's very easy."

Rhea smiled. "Okay."

He gave her a quick kiss on her soft, thin lips. "Great. I'll see you later this afternoon, then."

He left the room and made his way down the hall toward the throne room. On his way there, however, he ran into Mana. Quite literally.

"Whoa, slow down there, Mana," he joked once he'd steadied her to keep her from falling. "What's the rush?"

"I just wanna make sure Rhea and Master Mahad haven't finished discussing her getting rescheduled. I wanna see if I can get lessons with her. I don't want her to be lonely. After all, you and I both know that Master Mahad can be rather intimidating all by himself."

Atem laughed. "Yes, that is true. And no, they haven't started yet. How do you know about that?"

Mana flashed Atem a seemingly-innocent smile. "I may have overheard Rhea's servant and Master Mahad talking about it earlier this morning."

"Meaning you were eavesdropping on their conversation," Atem said rolling his eyes. Mana's crazy antics never seemed to stop.

"Eavesdropping is such an accusatory word, Pharaoh," she replied nonchalantly. "I was just…listening in."

Atem shook his head. "You are something, Mana," he sighed.

"Aww, you're so sweet!" She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"You'd better hurry," Atem warned. "You don't want to be late."

"Oh! That's right!" She paused. "Oh, and Pharaoh?"

"Yes, Mana?"

"Welcome back." He smiled at her.

"It's good to be back," he said. She grinned at him once more before running off in the direction from which he had just come.

* * *

Here you go guys! And, if I don't have the next chapter up by Christmas, then Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I originally wasn't going to have Atem talk about his and Rhea's "honeymoon." But then I thought, "Wait a minute. He's a guy. It wouldn't be believable at all!" *sigh* Men. -.-'

Anyway, don't forget to fave and review, and all that good stuff.

And God bless us, everyone.

Also, be sure to send prayers out to those involved in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The victims and their families need all the support they can get right now. There's nothing worse than losing a child to something so horrible.


	18. News

I won't bore you with the details of the rest of the day―or the next two months, for that matter―because nothing of much interest happened in that time. Well, alright, I had a wonderful time horseback riding, but essentially everything else was fairly mundane. There wasn't much of a transition from princess by marriage to queen. Even Atem admitted that the coronation ceremony had been fairly overestimated. I had trained myself to refer to Atem as "Pharaoh" aloud, though I always thought of him as Atem. Still, life returned to some semblance of normalcy.

However, one morning, several weeks after the coronation, I awoke with the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach. I bolted out of bed, found myself a secluded corner of the bedroom, and...well, emptied the contents of my stomach. Let me tell you, one's dinner doesn't taste quite as good the second time around, especially after it's had time to settle. Atem, being the sweetheart that he is, stayed by my side until my stomach was empty. I shook, panting. My head was spinning. I might have collapsed, but Atem caught me as soon as he saw my knees growing weak. He held me close to him, even though I'm sure I smelled terrible.

"Are you alright now," he asked me gently.

Still dizzy, I nodded. This had been happening far too often these past few days. I'd lost an unhealthy amount of weight because of it.

"After breakfast, I'll take you to the physician. He'll look you over."

"I'm alright," I assured him. "It might have just been something I ate."

"Rhea, anything you ate was also eaten by the Guardians and me. The doctor will be able to help you recover in no time. In the meantime, I'll make sure you have a bowl to carry with you at all times."  
I thought about it for a moment. "Alright," I conceded, giving him a small smile.

Next thing I knew, he and I were knocking on the palace physician's door. He greeted us warmly, asking why the Pharaoh and Queen would want to see him so early in the day.

"My wife has been having stomach problems for a few days now," Atem explained. "We were hoping you could tell us what could be causing them."

"Of course," the doctor replied. "Please, come in. What sort of stomach problems are we addressing, Your Highness: vomiting, pain, or just simple nausea?"

I told him, "I haven't been able to keep much food down."

"I see." He paused for a moment, thinking. Then he turned to Atem. "Sire, I'm afraid I may have to ask your wife some rather sensitive questions. They'll be necessary for me to make an accurate diagnosis."

Atem nodded, but tensely. He protectively placed his arm around my waist. I could tell he didn't like the idea any more than I did. "Alright. Go ahead."

The doctor turned to me. "Have you noticed any tenderness or swelling in your breasts recently?"

"What kind of question is that?!" I exclaimed.

"Please answer the question, madam," the doctor replied with a straight face.

I blushed, crossing my arms in an X over my chest. "They, they have been a little sore lately."

The doctor nodded, making a mental note. "And when was your last monthly cycle?"  
I counted back the days in my head. That couldn't be right, I thought, and counted again. "It had to have been before the wedding. But, how is that possible?"

Nausea, sore breasts, missed cycle...? What did it all add up to?

Rather than answering my question, the physician spoke to Atem. "Your Majesty, I've been practicing medicine for many years. I remember when your mother came into my office sporting the exact same symptoms your wife has now."

"Where is this going, Doctor?" Atem asked.

"Let me finish, please, sir. I was about to say that I believe I diagnosed her...roughly 15 years ago."

This held no significance to me, but Atem gasped.

"Doctor," Atem approached cautiously. "Are you saying...?"

The doctor smiled. He bowed respectfully. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Your wife is carrying the future heir to the throne of Egypt."

It was my turn to gasp. I lightly clutched my belly. I was...pregnant?

The physician turned back to me. "The nausea you feel is your body preparing to care for two lives instead of just one. It should soon pass. In the meantime, ginger water should help calm your stomach, for the most part. And I wouldn't eat any heavy foods for a while."

"Thank you very much," Atem said, his grip on my waist tightening. "We'll talk to you again if any problems arise." He turned me around and hurriedly led me out of the doctor's office. For a moment, I thought something was wrong. But as soon as the door closed behind us and we were alone in the hallway, he took me in his arms and spun me around excitedly, laughing as if he didn't have a care in the world. As soon as he set me down, he held my face in his hands and kissed me. He hugged me tightly, smiling from ear to ear.

Meanwhile, I was numb. How was this even possible? The human body continued to mystify me. How could I have a completely separate entity living inside me? Other than the vomiting, how else would this affect my health? And, when/if I had this child, would I be able to raise it properly? Would I be a good mother, or would my dark past with my father affect my parenthood? There were just too many things that could go wrong!

Atem must have noticed my lack of enthusiasm, because he glanced down at me and asked, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy about this?"

"I am," I said halfheartedly. I sighed. "I just..."

"You're scared about what could happen, aren't you," he guessed. "You're not sure how this will affect your health. You want to make sure that you'll be a good parent."

I stared at him, nodding. "How...?"

He lightly laughed. "Trust me; I'm just as frightened as you are. I want to know that I'll be able to be a good father. Believe me; I know I'm not perfect." He frowned, his tone growing suddenly serious. "Far from it, actually. I'm terrified that I will lose my temper and potentially harm you or our child. It's my greatest fear." He rested his hands on my shoulders. This surprised me. I'd never known him to fear anything. "I struggle to maintain control every day. But this baby gives me hope. Its birth is still months away, and yet I already feel like a father." He kissed my forehead. "Everything will be fine. I know you'll be a wonderful mother." He kissed my lips sweetly.

I smiled, comforted by his words. I hugged him tightly. "Thank you," I whispered. "And you'll be an amazing father."

"I hope so," Atem replied softly.

* * *

At lunch, we announced the good news to the Guardians and Shimon. They were ecstatic. Shimon proposed we hold a grand celebration in anticipation of the future heir. Everyone agreed, and the arrangements were made. The palace was full of activity. I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by all the excitement. It occurred to me that those of the high class have a lot of celebrations. They get excited over the littlest things. But, I supposed, when you have as much money and as many resources as they do, grand balls and festivals aren't as grand as they are to the lower- and middle-classes.

Barely two days into the celebration's preparations, I found myself visiting the secret garden more frequently. The fish were thankful, since I kept them fed, and I was thankful because I got to have the only company in the palace that wasn't either congratulating me or pushing past me with armfuls of decorations or design plans. For such a large and heavily populated building, the palace could be a very lonely place. I supposed Atem felt the same way, for he often accompanied me on my secluded trips to the garden.

We sat on the stone bench, wrapped in each other's arms, and watched the fish float around in their own suspended little world. I let Kuriboh roam free for a while and, after wearing himself out flying and doing flips around the garden, had curled up in a branch of the willow and fallen asleep.

A knock on the garden door broke the peaceful silence. I groaned. I thought this room was supposed to be secret.

"Just stay silent," Atem whispered in my ear. "If we're lucky, they won't know we're here." I grinned. I didn't know what entertained me more: the fact that Atem had been thinking the exact same thing I had, or that he was actually considering playing hooky.

"Pharaoh, it's Mana," the voice on the other side of the door. "I know you and Rhea are in there! Remember who showed you that garden in the first place?"

I gave Atem a puzzled look, but he simply sighed and stood to open the door.

"Please refrain from shouting about this place to the whole of Egypt, Mana," Atem said in exasperation. "It's the only place Rhea and I truly have to ourselves. We'd like to keep it that way."

Mana shrugged as she glided into the garden. "I'm sorry, Pharaoh, but the seamstresses need to take Rhea's measurements for her new dress."

"Another one?" I whined. "Don't I have enough already?"

"They said that, now that you're pregnant, you're stomach's just gonna get bigger and bigger until the baby's ready to be born. You're already starting to get a bump," she pointed out. "They want to be sure that you don't damage the dresses you have now." I covered my belly, my face flushed. Still, I stood and followed Mana out of the garden.

As I did so, I glanced at Atem out of the corner of my eye. "The things I go through for you," I hissed at him. He laughed, kissing my temple.

"I'll see you at dinner," he said. He held his hand on my stomach for a moment. "Both of you." His hand returned to his side, and I continued after Mana.

I glared down at my stomach. _That goes for you, too,_ I thought, as if I thought the child could hear me. _You'd better thank me when you're born._

* * *

It took an agonizing three hours to get me measured and get the designs set. I suggested just to have the waistband raised to just below my breasts and let the dress flow free, so that only one dress would have to be made. The seamstresses told me I was out of my mind. However, when one of _them_ suggested it twenty minutes later, it was "absolutely genius!" I wasn't too offended by this. I'd gotten it a lot before I was married, because many of the palace workers and inhabitants still considered me an ignorant inn worker, someone still of lower class. I was just a little surprised that I would still be treated this way even as queen.

Atem was not happy when I told him about it.

"I'll address this, don't worry," he said, rising from the bench. "I'll make sure you're not treated like that again."

"Atem, no. You don't have to do that," I responded, rising to my feet as well and taking hold of his arm.

"You're not some nameless commoner anymore," he argued, "and you shouldn't be treated like one. You're royalty now. Whether it's by birth or by marriage shouldn't matter; you're their queen now, and as such, should be treated with respect, something those women today were sorely lacking. You have a voice now, and you deserve to be heard." He started to walk away again.

"Wait just one minute," I yelled. Frustrated, I jerked his arm back so he was facing me and flicked his ear. He flinched, scowling as he rubbed his ear.

"Ow."

"Now you listen to me, alright?" I began. "First of all, it really isn't a very big issue to me. I wasn't offended by it, just surprised. Second of all, they were just doing their jobs, what _you_ pay them to do. I know if I was in their position, being assigned the task of making a maternity dress for the wife of the most powerful man in Egypt, I'd be pretty wound up too. And thirdly, don't you think it's a little hypocritical of you to be so upset by their not listening to me when you wouldn't even listen yourself?"

He paused for a moment, looking like one of the fish when it'd accidentally jumped out of the pond. I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for an answer.

Finally, his mouth closed, gradually shifting into a smile. He laughed. "I guess it does seem a bit ironic, doesn't it," he said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

I smiled. "Just a little bit," I replied, winking.

"Alright. I won't punish them. But at least let me talk to them."

"Only if I can come with you," I bargained. "You have a tendency to get frustrated and lose your temper easily. I want to be there to calm you down, in case you try to do anything rash."

"When have I ever done anything rash?" Atem asked.

I just looked at him.

"Oh. Right."

* * *

I returned to the seamstresses' workshop deep on the outskirts of the Noble District, this time with my husband standing confidently by my side. Personally, I couldn't care less whether or not they treated me like a commoner. After fourteen years of living that way, one sort of gets used to it. My attitude didn't drastically change just because I was married. But, if it made Atem feel better, then I didn't mind.

I knocked on the door. We received a dismissive reply from the other side, "One moment please. We'll be right out." There was plenty of chatter, so it wasn't hard to tell they weren't in a big hurry.

"It's me again," I said, rather passively.

"We're working on your dress right now, Your Majesty." It was obvious they were trying to avoid speaking to me. "No doubt your husband will absolutely adore you in this dress. I can't wait for him to see it."

Atem spoke up and said, rather pointedly, "Then why not have her try it on now, so that I can see it?"

All conversations on the other side of the door suddenly stopped. The old wood door opened (rather hurriedly) to reveal the head seamstress (Madam Miyahm, I believe the other women called her) with a charming grin forcibly pasted onto her face.

"Why, Pharaoh," she said, a little too cheerfully. "I didn't think you'd be coming so soon."

"Well," Atem said, appearing noticeably calmer and more endearing, "when I heard you were making a new dress for my wife, I just couldn't wait to see her in it. I thought, since you did such a good job with her wedding dress, and on such short notice, this new one would have to be just as marvelous; especially since you're not in quite as big a hurry. I apologize, by the way, for making you rush so much."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, sire," Madam Miyahm replied, brushing the comment away with a wave of her hand.

"Madam, I mean no disrespect," Atem began, getting straight to the point, "but my wife tells me of a certain incident that happened while you were taking her measurements."

"Incident? What incident?"

"She tells me that, while you and your talented young ladies were offering ideas for the design of her dress, you dismissed an idea of hers that was implemented only when another seamstress offered up an identical idea a few minutes later. While she does not wish to call any attention to the incident itself, I feel personally hurt by the lack of credibility she was given."

Despite his seemingly calm words and soft tone, I could see in his eyes that he was fuming. I had to applaud his acting skills, though.

Madam Miyahm gasped. "How terrible!" She looked at me with big, sad, _melodramatic_ eyes. "I am so sorry that you felt so hurt, milady. I pray that you never feel that way again."

"Of course," I said, feeling rather disillusioned. I may not have been upset about what they did, but their blatant lack of respect for me (I now realized that the dress incident was just one wave of the proverbial Nile) being displayed, even—and especially—in front of Atem, was really starting to get on my nerves.

Madam Miyahm continued, "I must ask, though, why Her Majesty didn't address this issue as it was taking place. She is queen now, isn't she? What right would we have to object her?"

Atem was kind and angry enough to answer for me. "Because even though she was not born in the palace or the Noble District she was still taught how to act while amongst us. She is aware that direct confrontation is frowned upon, and as such, did not want to appear so rude as to call out something so trivial. She remembered and _used_ her manners."

Madam Miyahm's eye twitched. "Right. Of course. How could I forget?"

But he wasn't finished with her yet. He frowned as he wrapped his arm protectively around my shoulders. "You're really very clever, Madam," he said, keeping his voice low. "It is my assumption that you intentionally dismissed her idea, knowing that it would be considered rude for her to try and object. However, you forget that I am not so passive when someone offends me. And any offense to my wife is an offense to me. Now, I have given Rhea my word not to deliver any punishments for this, and I intend to keep that promise. However, if I hear of something like this happening again, I will not hesitate to have every single worker in this establishment replaced. Including you, Madam Miyahm. Am I making myself clear enough for you to understand?"

Madam Miyahm nodded frightfully. "Of course, Your Highness. It will not happen again, I promise you."

"I'd suggest not."

Without another word, he turned, and we left the workshop to head back to the palace.

"You didn't have to do that," I told him.

"Actually, I did," he said. "But more for me than for you."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. I could practically see the last of his tension escaping through his lips. "What I said to Madam Miyahm was true. Anybody that offends you is offending me as well. You're my wife. How could I not be offended by the way they treated you?"

"Because you're a man, and you weren't there personally?"

Atem laughed. "So you want me to _not_ care when someone offends or mistreats you?"

"That was one of the conditions that I listed in the Market District before our engagement," I joked.

"I didn't think you were serious."

Giggling, I spun around till I was facing him, pulled him towards me, and kissed him. "Don't worry," I said. "I wasn't." I grabbed his hand, and started back for the palace.

"Come on," I said.

"Where are we going," he asked.

I turned around and winked. "We're gonna go take a bath."

* * *

So, I know this is WWWAAAYYYYYYY late (about 4 months and 2 days late), but hey! At least I finally got it up, right? :D

Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! No, not me, and not Rhea. The story! I uploaded this story exactly one year and two days ago today (I uploaded it on time on deviantArt, but I had to race off to work, so I didn't get a chance to upload it here. :P) And as a birthday gift to all of you, I'll be uploading TWO chapters today: this one and 18.

So, don't forget to fave and review, and I'll see you in the next chapter. :)


	19. Cleanse

I slipped into the cool water of the Nile, breathing a sigh of relief as the water relaxed my muscles. Finally, Atem and I could get a day to rela—

"Sir. One of the prisoners has escaped!"

Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me.

"Which one?" Atem asked.

_Does it matter?_ I thought to myself.

"I believe his name was Bakura, sire," the guard replied.

Atem frowned. "I thought I told you _months_ ago to take him to one of the prisons outside of the city," he growled.

"They were full, sir," the poor guard stammered nervously. "There was no room to hold him."

I could see that Atem was about to stop thinking rationally, so I decided to step in. "They did the best they could, dear," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's not their fault."

Still tense, he sighed exasperatedly. After another moment he sighed again, this time visibly calmer. "You're right," he said. "I'm sorry." He turned to address the guard, who was still holding his stiff position in case of another hail of torment from Atem. "Find him as quickly as you can. When there is a vacancy, take him to one of the holding cells outside the city, preferably one with the highest security possible."

The guard relaxed, bowing. "Yes, sir," he replied obediently, and left.

Once the guard was out of earshot, I looked at Atem. "Why are you so skittish about that Bakura person?" I asked. "He's just a common thief, isn't he?"

"It's not that simple, Rhea," he explained. "He's not just any common thief. He was able to sneak into one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Egypt without detection. It doesn't matter what his offense was. The fact that he could infiltrate the palace so easily makes him incredibly dangerous. You understand why, don't you?"

I nodded, my hand wandering to my stomach.

Atem rested his hand over mine. "I'm only looking out for you and our child. The guards are aware of this; that's why they don't question."

I rolled my eyes. "Either that, or they're scared of what you'll do to them if they do."

"What? I'm not that scary."

I grinned, bringing my hand away from my belly and cupped his cheek. Atem wrapped both his arms around my waist. "Sweetheart, you are absolutely terrifying when you want to be. When you were prince, no one was as intimidated because they probably figured it was just a phase, and that you would get over it. But now that you're pharaoh, and have the virtually unlimited power that comes with the title, your temper could very likely get them executed."

Atem frowned, looking a little hurt. "I've never noticed. They're really frightened of me?"

"I've seen it in their eyes. I saw it in the guard's eyes just now."

He looked up at me with sad, tragic eyes that didn't fit the brave ferocity in their crimson hue. "Are you frightened of me?"

I shook my head. "Not nearly as much as I used to be."

"Why not," he asked. "I've given you plenty of reasons to be."

"Are you still on this?"

When he didn't reply, I sighed. "Well, first of all, you're my husband. Remember, I've seen sides of you no one else has." I giggled, winking at him. As I'd hoped, it got him to laugh.

Then, pulling away, I added more seriously, "And...I always remember that your anger won't last forever, that you would never raise your hand to me like my father did." I looked away frowning, crossing one arm protectively over my chest.

There was a moment of quiet between us. Then, out of the blue, Atem asked. "How did your father die?"

I looked up at him, unprepared for the suddenness of the question. "What?" I said dumbly.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I've often wondered."

I looked away from him again. "I don't like to think about it much. It's...not a happy memory."

"That's fine. You don't have to―"

"No," I interrupted. "It's alright. Really. I just..." Unable to finish my sentence, I sighed.

* * *

"I was eight at the time," Rhea began. "Father was getting incredibly good at his job, and even better at hitting. At this point, he could beat me and my brother until we stopped feeling the pain, without leaving a single mark. No bruises, no cuts, nothing.

_She had a brother?_ Atem thought, though he said nothing.

"One day, Father came home more infuriated than I'd ever seen him. Someone had broken into the shop and stolen every single object of high value. All he was left with was junk, he said. 'I bet you let him in,' he screamed, shoving an accusatory finger in my face. 'You showed him where all the most valuable things were. You're trying to drive me out of business. After everything I've done for you little...' I can't even say the word. 'After everything I've done for you two, you would dare try and sabotage my business.'"

* * *

"I'd never been his shop before," I went on. At this point, I was unable to stop. The words were flying from my mouth before I could stop them. "My brother and I were never allowed inside. We were always told we would break things. The only reason I knew about your senet set was because he came home bragging that the Pharaoh himself had come into his shop. It was one of the rare painless days he gave us. I remember thinking just how lucky you were to have someone who would buy you such nice things, just because you'd survived another year of your life. My brother and I considered ourselves lucky just surviving one day. There was no way I could have known what the most valuable things in the shop were. Even if I did, I wouldn't have dared let anyone see them without Father's permission.

"My brother, tried to explain all this to Father, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"How old was your brother at the time?" Atem asked.

"He had just turned thirteen. He'd started being allowed in the shop to train so that he could carry on the family business. He came to my defense, telling Father that he was the one that showed the stranger around. He said he hadn't known that the man was a thief until after he and the merchandise had disappeared."

"How did your father react?"

"He was furious. He screamed in rage, and charged at my brother. It was paralyzing. The cry didn't even sound human! He picked my brother up by the throat and threw him up against the wall and held him there. My brother fought against him, trying to kick him to make him let go. He kept clawing at my father's hand, maybe hoping he'd scratch deep enough to make the man release him. But it was no use. He was too strong, too angry, and too inebriated to feel any sort of pain at this point.

"I remember standing frozen watching the whole scene unfold. I didn't know what to do! I knew I wasn't strong enough to force him to do anything, and if even if I tried, I thought, he might come after me instead. But my brother had stood up for me; I couldn't just do nothing!" Tears began to well up in my eyes. "I saw my brother's fight grow weaker. I saw the light begin to leave his eyes. He looked at me one last time, and I saw the pleading look in his eyes." I wiped her eyes. "That was when I finally snapped."

"Snapped?"

"I reached for the first object I saw and ran, screaming, at my father. When I was within range I blindly swung. What I hadn't realized at the time was that the object I had grabbed was the leg of a chair that my father had destroyed coming home. I somehow found the strength of a full-grown man, as the splintered end of the chair leg pierced through his skull. Blood splattered everywhere. He released my brother, and both of them fell to the ground. I remember the leg was still embedded in Bato's skull. I was numb to the fact that I'd just killed my father. The only thing I was concerned about was my brother.

"But I was too late. He was gone. My father had strangled the very life out of him.

"The next few hours were a daze. I don't remember washing my hands, but I do remember knocking on Karn's door with clean hands."

Atem was silent for a while. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all of this, really," I laughed humorlessly. "I could have lied and said he had a heart attack, I suppose."

After another moment of silence, Atem asked. "Does Karn know about this?"

I shook my head. "No," I responded. "I've never told her. For all she knows, my brother made a last-ditch effort to break free before he died, and I just happened to be caught in the mix."

We were both quiet for a while.

* * *

Atem carefully pulled Rhea closer, and wrapped her in his arms. "You're trembling," he said.

"Am I?" Rhea asked, her voice shaking as much as the rest of her body. Then, as realization slowly dawned on her, she cried, "Oh, gods in the heavens...I murdered my own father. Oh gods!" She buried her face into Atem's shoulder and wept.

_She's kept it bottled up for all these years...never letting herself see those dark memories... She's denied her past for so long, hearing it said aloud leaves no more room for denial. This should have been taken care of a long time ago._

* * *

"Where are they now?"

I sniffed, looking up at him. "What?"

"Your father and brother. Where are they? Have they already been buried?"

I shook my head. "No. I couldn't afford a burial service. I never got the chance to lay them to rest."

"Well, before we start our new beginning..." He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "...why don't we put an end to this dark past?" He gave me a soft, reassuring smile.

I slowly put the pieces together. When I realized what he was saying, I gasped. "You would do that for me?"

Atem lovingly kissed my forehead. "Of course. I told you before, didn't I? I'm your husband _before_ I am king. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

Ecstatic, I threw my arms around his neck in a hug. "Thank you so much," I cried. I gazed up into his kind, red eyes. _Gods_, I loved this man.

* * *

A single tear escaped from Rhea's eyes. Atem lightly caressed her cheek, wiping the tear away. He smiled and kissed her again. The kiss deepened, and he pulled her closer as his emotions began to take over.

Not long into it, Rhea gently broke the kiss and smiled up at her husband. Then, still smiling, gently pushed herself out of his arms, climbed out of the water, and started walking away.

"Hey, wait!" Atem called after her, feeling more than a little dismayed at the sudden halt. "Where are you going?"

"I'm getting dried off," Rhea replied casually. "What, you think you're the only one who knows how to tease?" She glanced at him over her shoulder and winked.

Realizing his wife's game, Atem grinned, feigning passive defeat. "Alright," he conceded. "You win." He rested his chin on his hand, as if bored. "I'll admit it; you won that round." He couldn't resist the urge to steal a peek up at her.

Rhea looked back at him. "I did?"

"Yes, you did." He snuck his works in carefully. He had to time this just right.

At just the right moment, he shot up out of the water. "But I've won this one!" She turned, stunned. He grabbed hold of her waist, holding fast so she couldn't escape, and fell backward into the water.

Rhea shrieked as she was dragged back into the river, landing in the water with a loud splash. As the two returned to the surface, Rhea spat a stream of water out of her mouth. Atem brushed his bangs away from his eyes, as they'd clung to the front of his face when they'd returned under the water. Rhea playfully glared at him.

"You just couldn't let me have this one, could you," she said. She slapped the surface of the water, sending a wave flying into his face.

Atem laughed, replying, "No. No I couldn't." He paused a moment. "Exactly how long had you been planning that," he asked, eyeing her with a smirk on his face.

Rhea blushed. "It was the whole reason I wanted to come out here in the first place," she answered sheepishly.

"Ah-huh," Atem replied thoughtfully, scratching his chin.

Rhea blinked, surprised by his reaction. "You're not going to make fun of me?"

"Not at all," Atem said.

"Then why did you ask in the first place?"

Atem shrugged. "Just wanted to be sure."

"Why's that?" Rhea asked.

Atem said, "So I'd have an excuse to do this."

Grinning, Atem pounced at her. Rhea screamed, giggling. Grabbing her, Atem held her captive with her back pressed against the ledge built beside the stairs that led into the river. Both of them were laughing. It seemed that the two brought out the best in each other. As the laughter began to down, Atem started to remember just how beautiful Rhea really was. He smiled. When she realized he wasn't laughing anymore, she looked up, probably wondering if something was wrong. The atmosphere became serene as the two gazed into each other's eyes. Atem rested his forehead against Rhea's.

With a soft smile, Atem whispered, "I love you, Rhea."

Rhea's smile matched his as she whispered back, "I love you, too, Atem."

Atem's smile widened just a fraction as he pressed his lips to hers. As the tension between them built, the kiss began to progress as it did before. Only this time, neither of them pulled away.

* * *

Hooray! The second chapter for today! :D

Now, here comes the really hard part... Now I gotta rewatch every single episode from Dawn of the Duel (starting with Memoirs of a Pharaoh) so that I can get the dialogue down. (If any of y'all wanna help me out a little bit, and pm me some of the lines, that'd be amazing! :D I'd seriously love you forever! I'm already halfway through the first episode anyway, but to start off with the other half would be fantastic.) It'd be especially helpful if you want me to post the next chapter quicker. *cough cough hint hint*

lol Anyway, Fave, review, and all that fun stuff. Thx you guys for reading, and I'll see you next time. :D


	20. Start

_**So this is the first of the canon chapters. If you want to have a little bit of audio to with the chapter, all five seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh! are available for free on Hulu. You don't even need an account! (I would know. How else do you think I've been able to watch all of the episodes? lol) Anyway, this chapter starts about halfway through the episode titled, "Memoirs of a Pharaoh." Season 5, if any of you wanna look it up. Obviously, it won't have any audio of anything having to do with Rhea, but it'll still help you imagine the world that I'm currently living in (in my mind. lol)**_

_**Atem, Bakura, Kuriboh, the Sacred Court, and the entire Yu-Gi-Oh franchise is property of Kazuki Takahashi, and in no way/shape/form do I own any part of it.**_

_**I **_**do, _however, own Rhea and this particular fanfiction. Any form of fraudulent ownership of her will result in me being seriously mad at you. (What? I can't take it to court. I don't have her formally copyrighted. XP) I may even go so far as to have you reported to the Internet Police. (NO! NOT THE INTERNET POLICE! HAVE MERCY! \OAO/ )__  
_**

* * *

Finally, after another month of preparations, the celebration of the conception of the future pharaoh was ready to begin. My dress was finished, and it looked magnificent. My father and brother were laid to rest at last. Atem had discovered the identities of the nobles who had been abusing Auset and had them imprisoned. Bakura was caught and recaptured (not the same thing, apparently), and there was even a vacancy at a high-security prison several kilometers from the Imperial City. Things were finally starting to turn out right.

* * *

My thoughts were interrupted by Shimon.

"Your public awaits, my king," he said. "The citizens of Egypt are quite anxious to pay respect to their future pharaoh."

I could hear the roar of the crowd chanting, "Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh!"

Atem turned to me and smiled. "Are you ready," he asked.

I nodded, and we made our way to meet our kingdom once again.

As soon as we came in sight of the people, they immediately fell to their knees in a worshipping bow.

"We've prepared a lovely ceremony in your child's honor, my king," Shimon went on. "Might I suggest you settle down in your throne and enjoy the festivities?"

"Would that be alright with you, Rhea," Atem asked me. "I know you don't like being in front of large crowds."

"I've gotten used to it these past few months," I replied with a laugh. "But, yes, settling down does sound nice." Ra knows, with the wedding, the coronation, and the conception all packed into one year, we've had more than enough excitement for the both of us.

* * *

A gong sounded in the throne room as Atem and Rhea entered the throne room. Rhea stopped and stared in wonder. She'd been in the throne room before, but never when it was like this, decorated to perfectly magnify its glory.

"It's the, uh, big gold chair straight ahead," Atem whispered to her. She gave a mocking glare, a light punch on the arm, and a bemused grin as they continued forward, with Shimon following close behind.

Atem sat in the throne, and Rhea took her place beside him on the right side of the throne.

"All hail the new Pharaoh and his queen," Shimon announced. "Exalted rulers of Egypt!"

"This is all so overwhelming," Rhea whispered. "I can hardly believe this is happening."

"I know," Atem replied. "But it'll be alright. We have each other for support."

Rhea smiled.

"My pharaoh," Seto inquired as he bowed beside Atem's throne, "perhaps we should postpone the celebration."

_He must have heard and misinterpreted what Rhea whispered to me,_ the young pharaoh thought.

"That won't be necessary," Atem assured his friend and colleague. "Please, carry on."

"Very well." The priest rose to his feet and strode to the center of the throne room. "The time has come," he announced, his arms in the air officially. "Let us all welcome His Excellence to the throne of Egypt with the ceremonial Festival of the Pharaohs."

Rhea leaned down and whispered into Atem's ear, "Shouldn't this have been done three months ago when you were crowned?"

"Well, he did say _pharaohs, _not _pharaoh_. Perhaps this is the celebration of both me and the child," Atem guessed.

"Hmm."

As the professional dancers weaved around the room, one of them broke off from the rest of the group, and made her way to the front until she was directly in front of Atem's throne. She twirled and swayed her hips with such delicate grace that Atem couldn't help but stare. That is, until he felt a hand on his right shoulder. He followed the hand up to the arm, and finally his eyes rested on Rhea, who was glaring evilly at the dancer. Once he realized what was going on, he laughed, placing his hand on Rhea's as a sort of comfort to her. His touch must have snapped her from her daze, as she blinked twice and glanced down at him. She saw his hand on hers and blushed, realizing that she wasn't fooling him. By the time he turned his attention back to the dancer, she'd already rejoined the others, though she now had a rather displeased look on her face.

* * *

Bakura's back ached as he was dragged away from the Imperial City by two guards on horseback. He held a defeated look on his face.

_Water,_ he thought as they continued along. _I need water_. They'd only been walking for a few hours, but he'd been so mistreated in the prison that his body was severely deprived of even the most basic forms of nourishment.

The shackled thief's knees buckled, unable to carry his weight any longer.

"Hold on," one of the guards said irritably. "It seems our little friend has collapsed again."

"Just my luck," the other replied. "There's a grand celebration at the palace, and I get stuck hauling a petty thief to the dungeon."

Just then, a bright light began to shine from the distance. Curious, the guards squinted against the harsh desert sun to see what was giving off such a light. Suddenly, the distant light turned into a bright, destructive beam, heading straight for the guards. The men cried out as it hit both of their horses, throwing them in opposite directions. As it did so, the light beam just barely grazed the ends of Bakura's hair, shaving a few millimeters off of his bangs.

The thief slowly got to his feet as cloaked figures on horseback came riding up to him. The one in front dismounted first. They had a red cloak on while the others wore black. The one in red was significantly smaller than the others, with a small frame and narrow shoulders, indicating a female. She silently snapped her fingers, and one of the black-cloaked men dismounted as well. He strolled up to Bakura and unsheathed his sword. Unfazed, Bakura watched as the man brought the blade down heavily, easily breaking the chains as if they were nothing.

"You are free, my lord," he said.

"I see that." Finally freed, Bakura turned to the red-cloaked stranger. "You nearly hit me with that blast of yours," he said.

"Forgive me," she replied, handing the former captive a canteen of water, which he downed in seconds. "But I did not have the energy to duplicate the spell, and I needed to create as little disturbance as possible." Her accent was almost identical to his.

"Right. Well, let's get on with it, shall we?" Bakura said. "There's work to be done, and our window of opportunity is closing as we speak."

The girl nodded. "Of course," she said. She then turned to address the figures behind her. "Men, you know what must be done. Let us proceed with the next phase of your Master's plan."

The men nodded in unison. "Yes, ma'am," they replied simultaneously.

Bakura mounted his horse with a wicked grin. _Prepare yourself, Pharaoh,_ he thought, _for a new king is about to take the throne._

* * *

The celebrations continued. About an hour and a half into the festivities, my feet were starting to get tired, but I didn't want to say anything.

Atem must have sensed my discomfort. "Would you like to sit down with me," he whispered to me.

"Where would I sit?" I responded.

Atem wordlessly adjusted his posture in his throne.

I felt my face flush a little. "Are you sure that would be alright?" I asked. "I don't want to seem improper." I was pretty sure I could recall one of Bato's lessons that advised specifically against sitting in the pharaoh's lap.

"You're queen now. What should it matter?" Atem replied coolly. "Besides, it might teach that dancer a thing or two." He grinned, winking at me.

I giggled. I couldn't help myself. With the ridiculousness of his statement, and my own temptation to actually show that hussy that Atem was mine and mine alone, it was impossible not to laugh.

Still, it was with great reluctance that I took my/his seat. I sat sort of slanted so that no one would get the wrong idea. Atem chuckled a little, casually draping his arm around me as it fell to the armrest of the throne. He used his other hand to take one of mine and kiss it gently.

"Relax," he said. "This is a celebration. Enjoy yourself. Don't be so worried about formalities. You can save those for another time. For now, just have fun."

I smiled, still a little tense, but relieved just the smallest bit that he wouldn't want me to worry.

As I continued to watch the ceremony take place, I noticed a shadow moving out of the corner of my eye. I happened to glance up, but saw nothing.

_Probably just my imagination,_ I thought.

_You _have_ been a little on edge lately,_ Kuriboh noted.

_Yeah…_ I thought back. _I've just been feeling so strange lately. And not because of the baby. I just feel like something bad is about to happen._

_Have you had any nightmares recently?_

_No. That's the strangest part. It's like, now that this dark foreshadowing feeling has rooted itself in the pit of my stomach, my mind no longer feels the need to warn be about what's going to happen._

My thoughts were interrupted by Isis's gasp, "Mahad, quick!"

I looked up at the spot I'd previously thought was empty. A man, holding a blowgun to his lips, took a deep breath and fired. Quick-thinking Mahad thrust his cloak open to block the dart's path. But what he hadn't anticipated on was the man firing a second dart over his shoulder; its path leading directly between Atem's eyes.

I flew to my feet. "No!"

Before I could even think, Kuriboh was bursting out of me, blocking the shot. The dart pierced the poor creature's back, and he and I cried out in pain.

"Rhea!" Atem cried as I fell to my knees. Everyone in the throne room gasped as they watched the scene unfold. Then, as they had that first day, they ran screaming, hiding themselves in an effort to avoid being hit.

The dart had to have been poisoned. Of that, I was sure. And, judging by the searing pain that was coursing through my body, it was of equal caliber to the one that had been used the day I'd met Atem—if it wasn't the same one exactly.

Atem lunged for Kuriboh, racing over to him and pulling the dart from his body. As expected, the pain in my own body began to subside.

"Guards," Seto ordered. "Stop that intruder now! He is getting away."

"Are you alright?" Atem asked me as he helped me to my feet.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

"Not at all, thanks to you and Mahad."

I smiled.

The guards seized the interloper.

"Bring this scoundrel before the pharaoh," Seto commanded.

Instinctively, Atem wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer as he glared at the man before him.

"Assaulting the king of Egypt is an inexcusable crime," Isis raged. I'd never seen her so angry before. She was always so level-headed.

"We are in the midst of a sacred ceremony," Mahad added sternly. "Cast this man into the dungeon—"

"Wait. Not yet."

Everyone turned to Seto, who was grinning rather eerily. "I have a better idea. Let us use this new rogue to demonstrate to the royal family the extent of our power. Don't you agree, Master Aknadin? Master Shimon?"

Aknadin nodded silently.

"Their power?" I muttered, looking to Atem. He just glanced at me and shrugged. Apparently, he'd never seen this supposed "power" either. Nonetheless, he guided me back to the throne, and we both returned to our seats.

"Very well," Shimon determined. "So let it be written. So let it be done."

"What do you think they're going to do?" I whispered to Atem.

"I'm not sure," he answered. "But I think it might have something to do with the Millennium Items."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, they're not just for show. They hold a deep, ancient power, or so I've been told."

"You've never seen it for yourself?"

Atem shook his head. "Father would never let me see it. He said I wasn't ready."

"Do you think you're ready now?"

"Does it really matter? They're going to do it anyway."

"True."

"Let's just watch, and see what happens."

Shimon interrupted our conversation. "Let this man's judgment begin."

Seto nodded. "Yes. Commence with the Millennium Trial of this man's soul."

"A Millennium Trial…?" Atem muttered.

_His soul?_ I thought.

"Yes, my king," Shimon replied. "With a position of great power often comes great danger. And criminals that threaten the ruler of Egypt must be dealt with accordingly."

It was Isis's turn to speak up. "But you need not be alarmed, Pharaoh."

Aknadin added, "We, the members of your Sacred Court, are here to ensure your safety at all times."

Seto began the Trial, "Thou shalt now be judged by the dark magic of the seven Millennium Items!"

_What does he plan to do?_

"Shada will start."

The bald noble stepped forward, removing the hood from his head. "Now, with the power of the Millennium Key, I shall read your mind." He thrust the golden ankh symbol forward, holding it outstretched in front of the intruder. The Millennium Key began to glow. Atem and I both gasped. How could it glow on its own?

"The shadow of an evil Creature lurks inside his heart," Shada determined. He stepped away, allowing Aknadin to take his place.

"I shall now invoke the energies of the Millennium Eye, thus revealing and extracting the being that dwells within."

Suddenly, the terrified man before us began to glow a menacing gold. The dark aura made me shudder. A shadow began crawl out of the man's mouth, slowly revealing itself to the rest of the court.

"What's happening to him?" Atem asked, voicing my thoughts exactly.

"The Millennium Items have detected a Shadow Creature dwelling in the heart of this criminal." Shimon then proceeded to tell us about how, though little was known about them, Shadow Creatures were dark, terrible beings that forced their hosts to do terrible things in order to feed on the darkness that grew in their hearts.

"Ahem."

"Uhh, but like I said, little is known about these beings," he said quickly. "I'm sure you and your Kuriboh are an exception to the rule, milady."

I just rolled my eyes, looking away. But not before I saw what the intruder's Shadow Creature looked like. It was like something from another world! It had four spiny arms, each with two enormous claws on the end. Its skin was a mossy green-blue tint that drew out its orb-like all-silver eyes. It had razor-sharp teeth that looked like it could tear apart any prey it came into contact with. It was a truly frightening Creature.

"In order to counteract the _evil_ Creatures, the guardians within the Sacred Court use the Millennium Items to seal these monsters into stone tablets."

_So this is what would have happened had Kuriboh been evil?_

"Master Seto," Aknadin called, "Call upon the power of your Millennium Rod, and seal the fate of this Shadow Beast."

"Right. A creature from the Realm of Darkness has no place in this kingdom." Seto stepped forward once again, holding out his Millennium Rod. The Creature dove forward, claws engaged, ready to attack.

"Now, Millennium Rod," the holy man cried. "Relinquish this beast. I beseech thee!"

Just as the Millennium Key had before, now the Millennium Rod began to glow of its own accord. It stopped the Creature dead in its tracks, ensnaring it in some sort of mystical trap, prohibiting any free movement. Priest Seto then threw the Creature headlong into the stone tablet behind him, forever holding the beast in its rocky prison. The once blank tablet now held an etching of the Beast on its face, signifying what monster it held inside.

Atem and I watched the whole process in wonder. Could it really be over already? What about the other three Items? After all, it was obvious that Lady Isis's Millennium Necklace could see the future, and the Eye, Key, and Rod had all been explained as they were being put into action. So what about the others? What did they do? I supposed their powers would reveal themselves when the time was right.

* * *

Bakura let out a sneering cackle as he gathered together just a few of the many golden treasures buried in the late Pharaoh's tomb. He even decided to wear a few, to look nice for the _new_ pharaoh's sake.

"One can never be dressed too formally when visiting the palace," he reasoned. Feeling a bit tired, he decided to rest his feet on the convenient "chair" located in the center of the room. He patted the "chair," rather proud of himself. "And since I wouldn't want to show up empty-handed, I'll bring this sarcophagus along as a peace offering."

He hopped up, grabbing the end of the rope tied around the sarcophagus. "Now," he snarled. "The king awaits, and we mustn't be late."

His minions followed him out of the ransacked tomb as he dragged the former pharaoh's coffin from its resting place.

* * *

"Well done, Seto," Master Aknadin approved, sounding somewhat fatherly.

"Thank you, Master Aknadin," the young priest replied. He then glanced at Atem and me over his shoulder, sneering. "Now that we are done with him, let us banish this fool to the dungeon."

Master Aknadin chided him, "We have expelled the darkness from his heart. Therefore, it is the duty of the Pharaoh's Sacred Court to let this man _walk free._" The old man turned to the guards. "Release him!"

Not willing to give up, Seto turned to Master Mahad. "If I am not mistaken, Mahad, palace security is _your_ responsibility. Perhaps you would like to shed some light on this afternoon's events. How did that intruder make it past the royal guard?"

_How _dare_ he try to pin this on Mahad,_ I thought. _Accidents happen. It wasn't his fault._

"Master Seto is right."

_What?!_

"Please, accept my apologies, Pharaoh," the master magician spoke humbly, kneeling before Atem's throne. "The Millennium Ring has been behaving quite strangely as of late, making it difficult to detect criminal activity."

_I suppose even magic has its limits and flaws,_ I figured.

"May I have your permission to increase security forces to fortify the city, my king?"

I looked at Atem, wondering what he would do.

Gravely, the pharaoh nodded. "Yes, of course. Please do." He still had a hold of my hand, and I felt his grip tighten ever so slightly. I knew what he was thinking, and I was thinking the same thing.

Seto directed to the men holding the Creature's stone prison. "Now, store that Creature in the Tablet Sanctuary!"

Atem breathed a heavy sigh, the tips of his fingers coming to his forehead. I watched the men carrying the stone tablet away from the throne room.

_Who was that intruder?_ I thought.

_Will there be others?_ Kuriboh wondered, still floating beside my head.

_Of course there will, _I replied. _Remember, this isn't the first time we've had to deal with a potential assassin._

_How could I forget? My bum was sore for a week!_

_And I guarantee you, it won't be the last. No doubt, we'll see more of them. The only question is how many will there be?_

"My pharaoh," Shimon whispered. "Might I suggest that we move on and continue with the conception festivities?"

"What? I was just attacked!"

"That's true," Shimon admitted. "However, if your loyal followers sense your fear, they too will feel unsafe. And the best way to hide that fear is with merriment and laughter." He ended his argument with a gleeful giggle.

"Well," Atem hesitated with uncertainty. "I-I'll try."

"Let the Festival of the Pharaohs continue!" Aknadin announced.

"Wait!"

"Is there a problem, Isis?"

Lady Isis raised both hands parallel at the ends of her necklace. "My Millennium Necklace is sensing an evil force approaching the kingdom."

"How close?"

"Shimon," Atem said worriedly. "What's going on?"

"This being lurks just outside the palace walls," Isis continued, "and he bears a great power!"

* * *

Bakura snickered from his viewpoint of his target, just outside the walls of the Imperial City.

"I think it's time we made our presence known, don't you agree?"

"Yes, my lord," his followers replied in unison.

"Then let the ultimate rebellion begin!"

* * *

**_That's right. Right now, it's not a Shadow Game. Right now, it's just a rebellion. Because, even though he has his Diabound, he's still just a thief. It isn't until he releases a portion of Zorc's power that he learns more about Shadow Games and how they work. And besides, in the anime, modern Bakura takes over the Thief King from Atem's memories, and modern Bakura is partly Zorc (the creator of the shadows, and therefore the one with the ultimate knowledge of Shadow Games). So it would make sense that the modern one would twist the e ancient one's dialogue just a bit to fit his current agenda._**

**_If you haven't seen Season 5 yet, sorry for the spoilers. :P Course, then again, why would you be looking through fanfics of Pharaoh Atem if you haven't seen Season 5? lol _**

**_Anyway, fave, review, you know the drill. :P_**


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